Healing Waters
by Psycho Yuffie
Summary: It's been two years since the fall of Fire Lord Ozai. The mental recovery of Azula has been slow and trying. While everyone else seems to have given up on the prodigy ever reforming her evil ways, a certain waterbender appears. Katara x Azula
1. Chapter 1: Aftermath

It was finally the end of the long war. Aang had defeated the self-proclaimed Phoenix King Ozai and Prince Zuko succeeding in stopping Princess Azula's coronation as Fire Lord. Although, after banishing the majority of the Fire Nation's capital, Princess Azula would not have had much to rule, anyway. Apparently, the pressure and power of ruling a nation had been too much for the young woman.

After becoming the new Fire Lord, Zuko locked Princess Azula in her chamber. Some people did not understand this. Why had he not thrown her in prison? Fire Lord Zuko had answered that he believed that Azula needed more care than punishment. In fact, he had some of the best therapists brought to the Fire Nation just to take care of his sick sister. Two years have passed since then.

Azula's hair had grown back since her mental breakdown and so had her rough exterior. She stared at the man across from her with fiery amber eyes and snarled at him. She hated these therapy sessions, but she painfully acknowledged that her return to sanity was due to them.

"It's the anniversary of your failed coronation today, right? I think it's important that we explore that event now that your mind has been cleared." The therapist said.

Sighing, Azula asked, "Is this really necessary? You already know what happened? I literally lost my mind!"

The therapist held up a finger. "Yes, I know of the events, but now that you have better insight, I want you to explore what was happening in your mind."

"I started…remember things." Azula started, wincing a bit.

Nodding, the therapist gestured to her. "Good. Continue."

"I started remembering my mother. I started thinking about what she would say to me if she was still around." She explained, remembering that Zuko had been looking for their mother ever since he had become Fire Lord. "I wondered if she would still think I was a monster, even then—or especially then. I had always dreamed of being Fire Lord, but when my father made me it, I realized that I had no idea what to do. Subconsciously, I always knew that I was not cut out to be a leader, but I did not want to admit it. Leading troops in a battle is one thing, but leading an entire nation is another.

"I wished so hard to be someone I was not. In that state, I became someone else. I looked to the only image I knew as a leader: my father. My father was ruthless, ferocious as the flames he commanded, and secretly insane."

Azula crossed her arms and looked away. She had one and a half years to think about this, not counting the time she was mentally incapacitated, so she had gone over the scenario in her head over and over again. Her pride made it hard for her to admit where she had gone wrong and, worse, where she had lost her mind.

Folding his hands in front of him, the therapist nodded. "Good, good. You've come a long way this year, Azula. Acknowledging when one lost their sanity is a big step toward recovery."

Smirking, Azula said sharply, "You misunderstand. I'm just saying where I went wrong. I've always been insane. Two years ago I just slipped deeper into the insanity. You don't grow up in this family and end up sane. Isn't that why you talk with Zuko, too?"

The therapist cleared his throat. It was true, he had been dealing with Fire Lord Zuko too, but Zuko was more interested in just having someone to talk to. The majority of Zuko's issues had been worked through by himself. Azula was a different case. Often she would take a large leap forward and then take a step back.

He freed his index fingers and used them to point at Azula without breaking his fold. "You're an adult now, Azula. A woman who can make her own decisions and shape her own life. Indeed, both your brother and yourself had traumatic childhoods, but need to begin making goals for the future. Personal ones. You need to start thinking about what kind of woman you want to be. Do you want to be a woman who is forced to spend the rest of her life locked away in her chamber alone? Or do you wish to be a woman who can forgive herself and look forward to a future with others?"

Azula stood up, shaking with anger, and pointed down at him. "How dare you! What makes you think I want such a life? Naturally, I don't want to spend my life lock away, but…" Her hand dropped and the therapist was surprised to see her expression soften. "Even if I wanted a life with others. Nobody wants me around. They're all scared of me or hate me."

Gritting her teeth, Azula realized how pitiful she was. She hated it! She wished that she was just doing one of her acts to manipulate this man into convincing Zuko that she was making progress; however, she knew it was not an act. For some reason, she sometimes felt her true feelings involuntarily come flooding out of her during these talks. The therapist was crafty, though, she is a good liar—no, she was a great liar—but he could always tell. She learned very early on that she could not manipulate him at all. In fact, he could often turn her plans around at her.

"And you hate this feeling, don't you? The pity, the loneliness, which leads to depression." The man said bluntly.

Her eyes widen. How does he always know? She was certain that no one knew about that! All her life, she had never cried once. Not once! But lately, late at night, the tears would come and she could not stop them. She did feel alone and she hated it. She hated the look of pity her brother gave her when he came to visit. She hated it!

Standing up, the therapist said, "I think you've made a lot of progress today; however, I think this is all you can handle for today. I'll see you again next week."

She watched the man leave and she was once again left alone in her chamber—her cell. Her eyebrows furrowed and she let out a roar of anger and azure fire blazed out of her mouth. She felt her knees weaken and she dropped to the floor. No, not again. Her eyes closed tightly as tears began to flow down her cheeks. No, anything but this.

"How is she?" A girl in blue Water Tribe clothes asked. She had gentle blue eyes and long, beautiful brown hair with braided hair loops. Katara had matured in the last two years. Her cute face had grown into dazzling beauty and her body had developed as well.

"The therapist says that she's been getting better, especially lately." The Fire Lord answered. Zuko had grown handsome himself, but his scar had not faded in the least. His hair had grown much longer, being brought up into a top knot.

Katara nodded and commented, "That's good. Really good."

Most people did not understand why Zuko had not sent Azula away to prison after the war. They were not there that day. On that day, Katara had been expecting the calculating menace of the Fire Nation Princess. What they found was a scared little girl who fought desperately, who was clearly not taking her new position well. Katara had been the one who convinced the Fire Lord to get her mental care instead of sending her away. She knew that the princess would have gotten worse inside a prison.

The Fire Lord looked down, frowning. "I'm not convinced. Maybe it's because I grew up with her. She's probably lying, getting him on her side. It's what she always does."

"What if she isn't?" Katara asked.

"Then it just means that she's back to who she was before. That isn't much of an improvement."

Katara laughed sheepishly. He had a point. Still, a calm, collected Azula is better than the mentally unstable one. Although, Katara never thought that she would prefer it that way before. Nodding, she thought that it would be best to see this for herself.

"I'll go see her myself and judge for myself," Katara announced.

"As you wish," Zuko began, walking over to Katara. "I'll go with you and—"

Katara put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "No, I'll go alone."

He turned and faced the waterbender and said incredulously, "You shouldn't go in there alone. She may have calmed down, but she's still dangerous."

Cocking an eyebrow, Katara asked, "Doesn't the therapist go in there alone?"

"He knows the risks. Besides, he's used to dealing with dangerous benders. That's why I hired him."

Katara jabbed her finger into the Fire Lord's chest and said, "I think you're forgetting who I am. She may be a firebending prodigy, but I'm a waterbending prodigy. Since I last faced her, I've been officially recognized as a waterbending master. I'm not a pushover."

Throwing his hands up in defeat, Zuko said, "Okay, okay. Geez, I forget how stubborn you are sometimes."

With that, she walked off. Despite having once hated the Fire Nation, she had spent a lot of time here since the end of the war, helping stave off old resistances who still had conquering attitudes. After Zuko assumed the throne, Zuko and Aang spent a lot of energy trying to keep civil war from flaring up. Now, however, she had found herself here less often. Due to all that activity, however, Katara knew the layout of the palace pretty well, so it was not any trouble finding Princess Azula's chamber. There were ten guards posted outside her door and window at all times. They all knew she was dangerous. In fact, Katara knew that Azula would have little trouble with twenty guards if she really felt like escaping. The fact she had not tried even once surprised her.

A guard approached her and announced, "Sorry, Master Katara, but this area is off-limits for your own protection."

She looked up at the guard and said, "Don't worry, I received permission from Fire Lord Zuko to enter and I'll enter alone."

"But ma'am!"

"Just unlock the door, please," Katara said soothing.

The guard looked behind him at the other guards, one of whom just shrugged in response. He turned back to Katara and heaved a sigh. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Your concern is appreciated," Katara replied with a smile.

Two guards in front of the door sidestep away as the guard with the keys walked over and unlocked it. Katara bowed to them before entering the chamber. As she walked in, she noticed the princess sitting on a chair, her legs crossed, leaning back with a finger on her cheek. She had her classic smirk on her face. It was as if she was meeting the cocky princess from two years ago before her episode. The look in her eyes was different, though, they were no longer filled with infinite confidence and ruthlessness. They looked almost sad.

"Oh, look who's come to see me!" Azula said with mock excitement.

Katara took a deep breath. The princess had always been good at knocking her off balance mentally. "I'm sorry I haven't come to visit you before now."

The princess waved her hand, as if brushing the worry aside. "Oh, don't you start with that pity." Her face immediately changed. "Please. I get enough of that from Zuzu. I understand that I lost my mind for a while, but I don't need to be treated as if I'm incapable for the rest of my life because of it."

Katara blinked. She just admitted that she was insane during that time? She has changed. This made her smile. "You're right. You deserve respect. I was wrong for coming in here thinking I would have to treat you with kid gloves."

"Oho! Kid gloves, you said? If you treat me with kid gloves, you'll regret it." It was not really a threat, Katara could tell she was just enjoying talking to someone.

"I understand that it's been hard on you. You went through that kind of event. It must have been hard for your pride to admit that you lost your mind." Katara said this quite bravely, given the look that Azula was giving her as she said it. "It must have been hard for you, living here this entire time and only having two people to talk to."

Azula laughed and said, "What are you talking about? I still live in luxury. I eat good food, sleep on the best bed in the Fire Nation, get pampered every morning, and wear the best made clothes. My life is great!"

Katara walked over and sat on the bed that Azula mentioned. "It really is a nice bed, but a beautiful cage is still a cage."

Narrowing her eyes, Azula stood and yelled, "What do you know? Do you even care? Did you just come here to rub my nose in it?"

Standing back up, Katara's eyes were wide in shock. Not because of Azula's outburst, but because there were tears in her eyes. Azula was crying? Katara looked determined and then walked over to the princess and put her arms around her, pulling her close.

"What…" Azula began, but stopped when she realized how good it felt. Another person holding her, comforting her. She had not felt this way since her mother used to do a similar thing. Then she remembered herself and said, "You dirty, little peasant! How dare you touch me!"

Katara looked up at the other woman and said, "I had no idea you were in such pain. I understand now. I'll be the person you can show this side to. I understand you can't show it to Zuko or even the therapist, but it's okay in front of me. I'm just some peasant from the Water Tribe. I don't matter, right?"

A wave of relief washed over Azula, but she was not sure why. Why would the thought of Katara looking after her make her feel better. It's true that unlike everyone else, Katara is not judging her or treating her as if her mind is as fragile porcelain doll. She just simply wants to be there for her because no one else is. Pity from anyone else would have infuriated her, but Katara felt different.

"Why?" Azula asked, fighting back her tears, "Why do you care?"

Looking up at the princess, Katara answered, "I never turn my back on anyone who is in trouble, even if she used to be my enemy."


	2. Chapter 2: Sins of the Past

Something weird was going on. For some reason, Katara had come back from her visit with Azula and announced that she would be staying in the Fire Palace for a while. What happened in there? Azula had gotten better, sure, but she was still a manipulative woman, rotten to the core. She was up to something, Zuko was sure of it. She had been biding her time, waiting for the right time to strike. She has to be using Katara's kindness to her advantage. He did not have any proof yet, but he was patient. It would only take one slip and her plans would be exposed to him.

In a room not too far from Azula's, similar thoughts were going through Katara's head. She had been a bit too impulsive in deciding to stay here for a while, but she would not go back on her word. Her history with the princess was rocky, to say the least, so she did not trust her yet. She suspected that Azula could be playing her for a fool. Azula has always been crafty. Plus, she cannot forget that she killed Aang. How could she forget? She was just lucky she had that mystic water with her, otherwise he would still be dead.

Katara paced a bit, in thought, and then said out loud, "Yeah, I was a bit too hasty in this decision. Can I really help her? When I was in there, seeing her cry like that, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I wanted to help her." Thinking some more, she thought out loud, "But she hated pity from everyone else, why did she accept mine?"

At that moment, Azula was thinking the same thing. Why didn't I kick that Water Tribe brat out of here? Why did I suddenly feel so calm when she hugged me? She grabbed her head and growled. None of this makes sense! She was Princess Azula! She despised pity and hated hugs. That was the way things were supposed to be. How did I know I'm still not crazy? With these strange feelings and thoughts, it certainly seems like I'm having a relapse.

Getting up, she stormed to the door and knocked on it. Outside, she heard someone shuffling with keys and then a click on the door. A guard opened it and barked, "What is it? It isn't time for dinner yet."

She pointed at him and yelled, "Mind your manners! I'm still a princess, you know!" She shook her head and said, "Tell that girl to come here. I have something to discuss with her."

The guard did not respond, he just slammed the door.

Azula walked over to the window and looked out into the garden. She saw the usual group of guards. After years of inactivity, she noticed that the guard are now regarding this post as an easy one. Most of the guards appeared to be pretty relaxed. She scoffed.

Her head turned to the door when she heard the familiar sounds of the door being unlocked. Katara walked inside and she turned around. The look in the waterbender's eyes was different from the last time she was here. She smirked as she though, So she's already beginning to waver on her decision, I don't blame her.

"I can't be summoned like one of your servants, Azula," Katara said distantly.

"That's Princess Azula," Azula corrected.

Katara rolled her eyes. She could not believe this. "Look, I'm sure this is about last time. No, I won't tell anyone about what happened."

The princess nodded with approval. "Good, but that's not the reason I called you here. I wanted to know why you were still here. I had heard from one of the guards that you decided to stay."

"When…" The waterbender began, gulped and then continued, "When I saw you like that last time, I knew you needed me. I'm not sure why, but you seemed like you needed help and I was the only one you felt you could open up to. I don't turn my back on people who need help, especially when I'm asked directly."

Frowning, Azula rebutted, "But I never asked you to do anything."

"You didn't have to. All of your actions during that time were begging me to stay."

Princess Azula wanted to get angry, to yell at her, and to slap her. She did not, though, and she was not. At one time, it would have been so easy. When did she get so soft?

Katara walked over and looked into Azula's eyes, as if checking for something. Backing up, Azula felt strange being so close to the waterbender. Katara sighed. "It's your eyes. Your eyes look so sad. That ferocity from when we fought back in the war is gone. I see you looking at me with those eyes and I can't just walk away."

"What?" Azula exclaimed, gritting her teeth.

Nodding, the Katara said, "Yeah, just like that. You look angry, sound angry, but there's no passion. Where did it go?"

That was a good question. It is true, too. I can't even intimidate these simple guards, nor could I ever find the courage to even try to break out of this pathetic cell! What _is_ wrong with me? The princess closed her eyes tightly.

"Don't get me wrong," Katara said, her tone changing to something more severe, "I haven't forgotten what you've done. I haven't forgiven you."

"If you hate me so much then why are you here?" Azula asked, opening her eyes as she looked at Katara.

Katara did not have an answer, not yet. She did not know the real reason why she wanted to stay or why she still wants to stay.

A few days passed and Katara did not come back to her room. She knew that Katara was still at the palace, though. She would have at least heard the guards whispering about it if she left. The therapist was once again in her chamber, sitting across from her.

"I heard that Water Tribe girl is staying here to help you," He attempted to start the conversation.

Azula chuckled to herself. "Yeah, it's cute, isn't it?"

He seemed to go deep into thought her reply and then he wrote something down on his scroll. Her eyes narrowed. He only ever wrote things when she said something he thought showed progress. She did not understand why her comment would suggest anything.

There was silence for a few minutes before the therapist asked, "How do you feel about that girl?"

"She's okay, I guess. Unlike everyone else, she listens to me. I don't understand it. Why does she listen?" Azula was mainly asking herself that question, she had not intended for the thought to have even been audible.

"So the Water Tribe girl listens to you? Is that all?"

A vein started to throb on her forehead as folded her arms. "Of course. What else could she do?"

"The little girl isn't anything else to you then? Just a stranger who is showing you sympathy?"

The vein grew and she growled, "Of course. What is could she be?"

He put his pen under his chin. "Hmmm… So the girl is—"

"Her name is Katara! Stop calling her 'girl'!" Azula yelled, surprising herself.

Smiling to himself, he wrote something else down and then stood up and said, "Well, I think it's about time for me to go. We'll meet at the same time next week."

Azula looked outside and then back at him. Something strange was going on. He usually did not leave until it was already dusk, but it is still bright out. Didn't he just get here? What is he up to?

With that, he walked knocked on the door and left as the guards let him out. To his surprise the girl in question was waiting outside. He blinked a bit and then said, "If you were waiting to go in to take to her, she's free now."

Katara shook her head. "No, I wanted to speak with you."

The two of them walked into an area that looked like a den, a place of relaxation. Katara looked around, checking to see if they are alone. When she was satisfied, she asked, "How is she?"

He gave a nod and said, "Better, much better. I'm not sure what you're doing, but keep it up."

"Huh?" Katara gasped, taken aback. "What? But I haven't done anything. We just talked a few times."

"Katara, for a girl like you it might be hard to understand, but that princess has never had any friends." The therapist said bluntly.

She waved it off and said, "That's not true. She has those girls: Ty Lee and Mai."

Shaking his head, he rebutted, "Not really. She treated this girls more like her underlings, not friends. Plus, they betrayed her. Granted, they had good reason to. Still, not either one has visited her this entire time."

"You're kidding. But Mai is married to Zuko." Katara replied, doubtfully.

The therapist hit his palm and exclaimed, "Oh, you're right!"

Katara gave a sigh of relief. "That's good, I thought—"

"Mai talked to her at the after party at her wedding." He announced, extending a finger upward. "How could I have forgotten?"

Katara nearly lost her balance and fell over from the shock. "What? That's all? She lives here, but she never goes to see her?" After saying this, Katara got a worried look on her face.

A sparkle shines in the therapist's eye. "You're a very kind person, Katara. If anyone can help Princess Azula, you can."

"I think that's a bit of the problem. Azula was an incredibly evil person during the war. She tried to kill Aang, the Avatar, and she showed a total lack of remorse. How can I help someone like that?" Katara looked away at the ground.

"Why wouldn't you want to help someone like that?" The therapist asked.

She looked back at him like he was crazy.

"No, I'm serious." He said, laughing a bit. "Think about it. Princess Azula seemed merciless, but she clearly wasn't. If she had been, she would not have fallen like she did. She's a confused girl. She has been for a long time. Fire Lord Zuko was too, but he was strong enough to get through mostly on his own. The princess, though, she needs help."

Is that true? Katara wondered. Could she really be capable of not only restoring the princess's former confidence, but also make her a better person in the process? Can someone evil be turned good? Of course they could. Zuko is living proof of it!

She nodded and then smiled at the therapist. "Alright, count me in. I'll make sure that Azula returns and becomes a better person in the process."


	3. Chapter 3: Azula's Sacrifice

Katara found herself in her room. It had been a few days since she made that promise to the therapist. Unfortunately, making that promise was easier than following through with it. She was struggling. Before she can really begin to help Azula she needed to forgive her. How can she forgive Azula for killing Aang? Something like that seemed impossible to her. Aang probably forgave her, but he is the Avatar; he is supposed to forgive people.

Looking down at her hands, she remembered holding Azula in her arms. She blinks slowly and then remembered how she felt. Her heart began racing, remembering the feel of her silken robe on her fingers, the gentle push as Azula leaned against her. She is a lot lighter than she looks.

"She was so soft and vulnerable," She whispered to herself. Shaking her head, she furrowed her brow. "She's also a killer." That's right. How many people did she kill during the war? A dozen? A hundred? Does she really feel remorse? Is that really what caused this? "There's only one way to find out."

She stood up and walked out of the room. Focused, she walked down the hall and found her way back to Azula's chamber. The guards were playing some kind of card game when she walked up. One disgruntled guard got up and opened the door for Katara.

Azula was lazing on the bed when Katara walked in, she looked surprised to see the waterbender. She stood up quickly and fixed her hair, trying to regain her dignity before walking up to her. Her confident swagger seemed to be returning, along with a hint of her old intimidating aura. Katara took a second to wonder if her being here was really the cause of her sudden rejuvenation.

"I have something to ask you," Katara announced.

Sighing, Azula shrugged and crossed her arms. "Conversations that start like that are always pleasant."

"This is important, okay?" Katara eyed the other woman.

The princess put up her hands and said, "Okay, okay. I'll answer anything that you ask."

Katara closed her eyes for a moment and then looked back at Azula before asking, "Do you feel any remorse for killing Aang?"

Giving a strange look of confusion, Azula replied, "The Avatar is still alive, unless something happened that I didn't hear about. At any rate, it wasn't me who did it."

She shook her head and explained, "No, at Ba Sing Se you shot him with lightning and he died. He's only alive now because I was able to cure him with the mystic water from the North Pole. Without that, he would still be dead."

Putting her hand on her chin, Princess Azula said, "So that was it. I was sure that I killed him, but then he came back."

Katara frowned and yelled, "Answer the question!"

A look of surprise appeared on the princess's face and then she also frowned. "I'm Princess Azula. We were at war and the Avatar was an enemy. I was ordered by Father to kill the Avatar, so I pursued that goal with everything I had."

"Well, that's a very official-sounding answer, but that isn't answering the question I asked," Katara said, her voice cracking a bit. She looked up at Azula with tears in her eyes. "Tell me, please! Please tell me that you feel sorry for hurting Aang and everyone else during the war. If you say you do, I'll believe you."

Azula took a moment, turning away. She was thinking of a way to word this the best way possible. Turning back, she said, "If you would have asked me that two years ago, I would have told you that I regret nothing."

Katara narrowed her eyes a bit. "What about now?"

"Now," The princess began, "I realize that were times I got excessive. It was war, but being excessive is needless and hurts both sides. There were times where I got my own soldiers killed because I was being rash or selfish. There were times I had villages burned because they didn't have the right kind of tea. I was a selfish little girl." Azula set down on her bed and sighed. "I've had a lot of time to think in this room. I have to tell you, there isn't much I don't regret anymore."

This made Katara feel some relief, but it was not enough. She avoided Aang. Moving in front of Azula, she asked again, "What about Aang?"

Looking away, Azula answered, "When it came to the Avatar, I did my duty—that's what I want to say. It's what I kept telling myself, but it isn't true. What I do regret is allowing my father to string me along so long. I only wanted his approval, but in the end he abandoned me. I only went after the Avatar because Zuko failed and I wanted to succeed where he couldn't. Father would surely love me then, right? I was wrong."

"But Zuko said that your father always loved you," Katara said, confused.

Azula scoffed and rolled her eyes. "He would say that. The truth is that our father doesn't love anyone. He only cares about himself. Everything I did, I did to earn his love. I struggled my whole life. Despite being the prodigy in the family, he still wasn't satisfied. Nothing was enough." She paused and then continued, "To answer your question: I regret killing Aang, but not as much as allowing myself to be controlled by my father. That is still my biggest regret."

Katara sat next to Azula and tried putting her arm around her to pull her into a hug, but the other woman resisted.

"Don't. We shared one hug, but that doesn't mean we're all friendly." She looked away and added, "Oh, and don't tell anyone what I told you today. It's our secret. I have a reputation to uphold."

Blinking with confusion, Katara asked, "You'd rather people think you are a monster than know you're human?"

She nodded and said, "Because I make my father look even more evil. If people think I'm evil, then how do you think it makes Zuko look? The one who defeated me?"

Katara stood up, her eyes wide with revelation. "You're letting people think you're still crazy on purpose!"

Azula stood up too and covered Katara's mouth. "Sh! No! I'm letting people think I'm evil. I _am_ still crazy." After saying that, she let Katara go and sat back down on the bed again.

"But…why? Why do you want to do that?"

Crossing her arms, Azula looked up at her and explained, "I guess it's natural to be confused about this whole situation. Our family isn't normal."

Katara glared down at her for a second and then exclaimed, "Understatement of the century!"

Azula burst out into laughter, pointing up at her. "Your face was great!"

The Water Tribe girl tried to stay serious, but Azula's laugh was too infectious and she also found herself laughing. Wiping away a tear from her eye, Katara asked, "But, seriously, why would you do that to yourself?"

Standing, Azula looked serious. "I've done a lot of stuff to my brother in my life. I think the least I could do is make him look good now. I'm the bad guy, he's the good guy. That's all anyone needs to know, even if I have to spend the rest of my life in this chamber. It's the very least I could do for him."

The Fire Nation princess had changed. That much Katara knew quite clearly now. Unless this was another one of her sick games, Azula was no longer the selfish, spoiled princess she used to be. Everything that Princess Azula said left Katara a lot to think about over the next few days. The therapist did not show up again after that week. Was he really counting on Katara from now on? Plus, there was this strange feeling in her chest that keeps bothering her. She noticed it ever since her last conversation with Azula. Maybe she's sick? No, she felt fine.

She was so deep in thought that she did not notice when a yellow-clothed figure entered the room. She was laying on her bed and her eyes her focused on the ceiling of her room.

"Oh, Katara!" Someone screamed in her ear, causing her yelp and roll off the bed.

When she was enjoying the cool floor, she noticed a familiar goofy laugh. She peeked up from the bed and saw a bald-headed young man dressed in yellow monk robes. He also had light blue arrow tattoos on his head, hands, and feet. It was Aang, the Avatar, and her on-and-off boyfriend.

Getting to her feet, she looked at the boy and said, "You shouldn't sneak into girls' rooms."

He waved his hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah. What's up? I thought you were only coming to visit Zuko? You've been gone a while now."

Smiling, she replied, "Sorry about that. I got sidetracked."

"Oh, this again. Everywhere you go, you get 'sidetracked'." Aang said with an exasperated sigh. "Who's in trouble this time? The neighbor's cat?"

Katara rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, come on. That's an exaggeration."

Aang dramatically pointed out the window. "No, it isn't. Remember that time we visited Whale Tail Island? That girl's mongoose-cat was stuck on a cliff. We spent three days trying to get it down!"

Blushing, Katara remembered the event clearly. "Well, that was only one event!"

"Anyway, what is it this time? Who's in trouble?" Aang said, boredom in his voice.

"Azula," Katara answered simply.

The Avatar's eyes went so wide that she could have seen Aang go bug-eyed. "What? Katara, Zuko said that she's not…okay in the head or something."

Shaking her head, Katara replied, "No, that's what she wants people to think. Well, she really did go insane once, but she's better now. She wants people to still think she's crazy, so her brother retains his role as the good king."

Aang looked at her in disbelief and asked, "But why would she do that?"

"I was as shocked as you. She said that it was her way of paying him back for all the cruel things she did to him over the years. She even said that she was willing to spend the rest of her life locked up." Katara explained and sighed.

Sitting on the floor, Aang thought for a few minutes. He opened his eyes and said, "I do think that she probably deserves to be locked up for the things she did during the war; however, if she's that regretful, she should think about more active ways to show her feelings. Even if it's something as small as an apology."

The waterbender looked at him and tried to imagine Azula apologizing to Zuko. Her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated and then she shook her head. "Azula…still isn't the kind of person who would apologize, but I do think she's changed. She's too used to keeping secrets, though."

The Avatar nodded. He understood because Zuko told him a lot about the royal family. They were not an apologizing kind of family and secrets were second-nature to them.

"Aang, I'm going to need some help in deciding what I should do next." Katara said suddenly, catching Aang a bit off-guard.

"W-What? Oh, s-sure! I'll do anything for you." He grinned at her, despite his cracking voice.

Walking over to him, she said, "Let me borrow Appa. There's someone I want to see."

The Avatar blinked and then sunk a little bit, disappointed. "Oh, sure. Yeah, you can borrow him. Just a few days, though. I need to go take care of another Fire Conquerors base as soon as possible. I wish they would just accept Zuko as the Fire Lord already."

"Thanks, Aang. I have to get packed." She announced.

Blinking, Aang wondered to himself, She unpacked? He took the time to look around a bit and noticed a lot of personal things on the walls and on tables. It looked like Katara was settled in for a very long stay.


	4. Chapter 4: Fated Lovers

After Katara was done packing, she stopped by Azula's room with Aang. Azula was spending another afternoon quietly looking out the window when the door behind her opened. She turned and was not surprised to see Katara walk in, but she cocked an eyebrow when another bald-headed visitor appeared in the door as well.

Standing up, she greeted harshly, "My, my, what an honor! The Avatar in my humble cell? What's the occasion?"

Aang shot her a glare and thought, Her attitude sure hasn't improved much.

Katara laughed a bit nervously and then walked over to Azula. "I'm going to be gone for a few days. There's an old friend I have to see for some advice."

A look of confusion washed over Aang's face as he asked, "Did you really need to come and tell her?"

Looking back at Aang, Katara blinked and asked, "What are you talking about? Why wouldn't I tell her? This is her house too, you know. It would be impolite if I thought I could just come and go as I please."

"No," Aang corrected her, "this is Zuko's house. She's a prisoner. What does it matter if she knows where you're going?"

It was Katara's turn to be confused. "What's wrong with you, Aang? Why are you acting this way? Azula and I are friends now, I don't want her to worry about me."

Throwing up his hands in defeat, Aang yelled, "Isn't that great? Katara making friends again! You're just so friendly, aren't you? You make friends with Haru, Jet, and who knows who else."

Katara shot her finger at him and yelled back, "You know what? This is why we keep breaking up all the time. You're way too jealous! You get jealous of any guy who so much as looks it me. Now you're getting jealous of Azula? You're going to get jealous of girls now, too? Azula doesn't even like me that way!"

Before Aang could even think, he exclaimed, "I think she does!" Wait… No, I don't. Why do I always say stupid things like that?

Fuming, Katara turned to Azula and bowed, "Please excuse me for a few days."

Dumbfounded, Azula just said, "Uh… Sure, go ahead."

Shooting Aang a glare so sharp that it could pierce through dragon skin, she said, "I'm going to announce my departure to the Fire Lord before I leave." Katara walked out of the room and then poked her head back inside to yell, "I'm still taking Appa!" Then she stormed down the hall, all the guards watched her in confusion and a bit of fear.

Azula watched the angry girl leave and then sighed, looking at Aang. "You're not very good at talking to girls, are you?"

Looking back at her, Aang said, "Gee, what gave me away? The stupid stuff coming out of my mouth or that I can make the nicest girl in the world hate me?"

"Both, honestly," The firebender said bluntly.

Aang looked at her seriously, this caught Azula's attention. "Are you up to something? Keep in mind that I can tell if you're lying."

Smiling darkly, Azula commented, "Learned that trick from your friend Toph, did you? Unfortunately for you, I haven't spoken a lie or deceived anyone for a long time."

Looking surprised, Aang thought, She really isn't lying. Furrowing his brow, he asked, "What do you mean by 'unfortunately for me'?"

"I said that because I'm not lying or deceiving anyone, I'm being honest. You'll find that I can be much more fearsome when I'm being honest." Azula smiled again.

Narrowing his eyes, Aang asked, "Have you really changed?"

Azula laid down on her bed and replied, "I have, unfortunately for you."

She said it again, Aang thought. No, it can't be. Is she aiming for Katara for real? It isn't unheard of for two women or two men to be together. A few of my past lives had same-sex partners; however, I can't let Katara fall into this girl's hands. Good or bad, she's always going to be some trouble. With that thought, he turned and left. He could still feel that smile on him.

A day later, Katara was still in a bad mood. That was it. She was sure this time! She was never getting back together with that jerk again. It was final. All Aang ever does is get jealous or throw tantrums; she was sick of it. Getting jealous over a girl? Really? While she had heard of homosexual relationships before, it did not matter. Azula was into guys, right? Of course she was!

Katara blinked a bit and put a hand on her chest. What was that just now? When I thought that Azula liked guys… Was there a pain in my heart? She shook her head. No, of course not. Just imagining things.

Then she saw it, the small Earth Kingdom village in the shadow of a volcano. She can instantly recognize it due to the large jagged rocks on the other side of the village where Aang stopped the lava from destroying the village. Three years ago, the village's town fortuneteller, who is amazingly accurate most of the time, told her that she would marry Aang. Or, at least, that was how it seemed at the time. She was having doubts now. She landed just outside the village where Appa could graze. She turned toward the town, but found a crowd blocking her way. The entire village had come out to see her, it seems. No doubt hoping it would be the Avatar.

Holding up her hands to get everyone's attention, she announced, "Sorry, everyone! It's just me this time. Aang is still back in the Fire Nation."

Everyone turned and walked away, disappointed. She laughed nervously and thought, I should tell Aang to come back here and visit sometime.

She walked through the village and was amazed how nothing had changed. At least one place was untouched by the war, that was rare. She found it, in the far back of the town square: Aunt Wu's Fortunetelling. Smiling, she knocked on the door. She heard some shuffling inside.

Suddenly the door open, Aunt Wu appeared and greeted, "Welco—" She seemed to recognize Katara and then slammed the door.

Katara pouted and then banged on the door. "Hey! Aunt Wu! Open up!"

The door opened again and Aunt Wu laughed. "It was a joke. A joke! Come in, Katara."

Smiling at Aunt Wu, she walked in and the door was closed behind her. Aunt Wu walked out in front of her and asked, "What is it that I can do for you today?"

"Aunt Wu, your prediction about my husband was wrong!" Katara snapped and then covered her mouth with shock.

"Oh, boy. It's one of those visits." Aunt Wu sighed. She walked over to the sitting area and gestured for Katara to sit next to her. "Listen, Katara, there are many variable in life that can throw off even the most precise of fortune tellers. But, tell me, why do you think I was wrong?"

Looking down at the floor, Katara said, "You predicted that Aang would be my husband, but we don't get along at all—at least not as anything more than friends."

Aunt Wu held up her hand and said, "Excuse me, I remember ever fortune I have ever given. I believe I said, 'Your lover would be a powerful bender.' I didn't say anything about Aang."

"Well, Aang is the Avatar, the most powerful bender in the world." Katara explained.

The fortuneteller smiled and rebutted, "Did I say the most powerful bender? No, I said a powerful bender."

"That's so general, though, it could be almost anyone," Katara said, depressed.

Aunt Wu sighed with great exasperation. This girl is going to be the death of me. She stood up dramatically and exclaimed, "Alright! Come back with me and I'll give you a more detailed reading of the one you will marry."

Katara suddenly hopped up to her feet faster than any airbender could. "Okay!"

The two of them walked back into one of the rooms. It was a different one than the one she went into before. The room was tall and there were dirt on the floor. In the center of the room was a fire pit. The fire that was already there appeared to be lighting the entire room. There was a noticeable pressure in the air here, unlike the last room.

"This is the technique I used on Aang. It's the most accurate form of fortunetelling that I know." The old woman explained.

This is promising, Katara thought as she sat down by the fire along with Aunt Wu.

The fortuneteller reached over and grabbed a basket of bones and showed it to Katara. "Pick a bone and throw it into the fire. I will read it after it cracks."

Katara nodded and then reached in and grabbed one at random. She looked at the bone for a second before tossing it into the flames. She stared at the bone and after little over a half a minute, a crack snapped into existence along it. Aunt Wu fetched some tongs from her side and pulled the bone out of the fire and set it in front of her. She studied the crack for a few minutes, Katara waited anxiously, biting her lower lip.

"Aha!" Aunt Wu exclaimed, causing Katara to jump a bit. "I see now. Yes, this is a much better description."

Katara grabbed the old woman's arm and shook her lightly. "What does it say? _What does it say?_"

Holding her hands over the bone, most likely only for dramatic effect, she began to read off the bone, "Yes, your lover will be a great, powerful bender. The best in their nation, in fact. The bone also mentions bright, blue flames, but that can't be right."

Her eyes went wide as Azula's face appeared in her mind. She shook her head. No, she said that part wasn't right. But, just to be sure… Katara pointed at the bone and asked, "Does it really mention blue flames?"

"Yes, it does," The fortuneteller secedes, "But I'm not sure why. Do you know why?"

Gripping her pants, Katara replied, "Yeah… I know a really powerful firebender who has blue flames."

Aunt Wu smiles and then said, "Well, now you have your answer. Why aren't you happy?"

"Because…she's a girl, Aunt Wu. Not only that, she's Princess Azula of the Fire Nation." Katara explained while staring at the ground. "You… You made a mistake, right? The person I'm fated to be with…can't be her, right?"

The fortuneteller's mind was racing. Yes, she had to have made a mistake somewhere. She grabbed the bone, now that it was cool, and looked over it again. "Ah! It says here that your lover will have amber eyes."

Katara's face fell again. "She has amber eyes." She stood up quickly and said, "I don't believe it. I… She's just my friend. We're friends! I can't imagine myself with a girl. The thought is preposterous!"

She ran out. She ran out of the building and out of the village. She was on Appa and gone before her mind had caught up with everything that just happened. Azula and her? Fated to be together? How could that happen?


	5. Chapter 5: Meltdown

Katara knew she was an idiot. She left that village too quickly. She had been planning on staying the night there. Now, she had to spend the night in the wilderness. Looking around, she squinted her eyes to see in the darkness around her campfire. She looked back to the fire and sighed. Aunt Wu did admit that not all of her fortunes came true. Certainly, hers would be one of the exceptions.

"But why was I so offended by it?" Katara asked herself. "Azula is a better person now. I can tell. She's…beautiful when she laughs."

She shook her head. What was she thinking? They're both women! Female! There was no way she was interested in other girls. I have a boyfriend.

"That's right! I'm with Aang. I'll just go back to the Fire Palace and apologize. We'll start going out again, fall in love, get married, and have lots of babies!" Shrugging, she added, "You can't have babies with other girls, right? Makes sense to be with boys."

Not to mention, Azula was a killer. No amount of good intentions can take blood off your hands. She thought back to the war. How many firebenders did she attack? Did she kill any of them? Honestly, she never thought of it before. What if her hands were also splattered with the blood of her enemy? She was fighting because they were at war, but so was Azula. If she held Azula accountable for everyone she killed during the war, then she would also have to hold herself accountable. It is a two-way street, after all. Those firebenders she possibly killed had friends and families. If they knew that she killed their loved one, they would want her head.

Katara hugged her legs close. She did not like thinking about this. Not knowing was the hardest part. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember their faces, but failed. I was focused and attacked without thinking what would happen to my opponent and I did not think about them afterwards again. Everyone always praised her for how kind and gentle she was, but she was beginning to see a darker side to herself. She did not like it.

It was late afternoon the next day when she returned to the Fire Palace, dark circles under her eyes. She kept having nightmares of herself viciously killing Fire Nation soldiers and she could not stop herself. Aang ran up to her. Was he waiting for her?

He smiled at her and then noticed her dark circles and frowned. "What happened?"

She turned her face away from him. "I don't want to talk about it."

For some reason, Aang rounded on her and asked, "Don't want to talk about it or don't want to talk about it with me?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Katara cringed. This was the last thing that she needed right now. Geez! And she was contemplating getting back together with this guy last night?

"I don't think you should be around Azula anymore. She might be changing you; I don't trust her." Aang said seriously.

Katara yelled, "You're only saying that because you're jealous of her!"

He shook his head and said, "No, I'm not. She's a murderer! A cold-blooded murderer!"

Grabbing the monk by the collar, she pulled him close and said, "Stop right there. Do you think you are any less guilty than she is? You talk about not killing anyone, but you've used your bending on soldiers during the war. You knocked people off boats in the ocean, without knowing if they can swim. I bet if you think long enough, you'll realize your hands are just as bloody."

Aang's eyes widened and then filled with guilt suddenly and he looked away. She was right, he knew it. It was not like he had not thought about it before. There were so many variables in combat. Even if you are not intending to kill someone, you still might by accident. That was why he hated fighting, but as the Avatar it was his duty.

Katara walked up some steps and turned to look down at the Avatar. "Before judging others so harshly, you should take a look at yourself and find out if you're being a hypocrite. Azula doesn't lie anymore, she doesn't deceive anyone anymore, and she doesn't kill anymore. She told me how horrible she feels about the things she did in the war. I think we all feel horrible for what happened during the war." With that, she continued into the palace.

These are all things that Aang has not been able to forget about since the war ended. Even now, he has to fight. How many people had he killed? He was not sure. Did Katara just realize that she may have killed soldiers during the war? Is that why she could not sleep? He looked up where she had left him. "Poor Katara. You lost your innocence, huh? For someone like Katara, who was so sweet and gentle, to realize that she has killed people. She must have been devastated. Now, instead of comforting her, I yelled at her and made her feel worse. She's probably already gone to _her_ for comfort. More fearsome when she's honest, huh? I'm beginning to understand what she said."

Honestly, Katara was not sure who to turn to for help. So much has happened. Is going to Azula really okay? What if today is the day we fall in love because I went to her room at a time of weakness? She shook her head. No, that wouldn't happen. I have more self-control than that. Aang was being a jerk again, so she doesn't really want to talk to him and Zuko was…Zuko. Azula was the only one who has been listening to her recently.

Azula was sitting by her desk reading a firebending scroll when she heard the door open. Katara walked inside slowly, Azula's eyes widened. She could tell something was wrong. Normally, Katara was brimming with light, but right now she was dragging darkness behind her. By her stature, she wandered if she really was dragging something with her feet.

Standing up, she grabbed her chair and rushed over to Katara and put it beside her. Katara obediently sat in it and sighed.

Kneeling in front of her, Azula asked, "What's wrong? You can tell me anything."

It was true. Katara knew that she could tell Azula anything and she would not judge her. It was funny because she once thought that Aang was like that, but his recent behavior suggested otherwise.

"It might seem silly, but I went to a fortuneteller that we met a few years ago. Her predictions were almost always true." Katara began quietly. "My first fortune was about the person I would marry. She told me he would be a powerful bender."

Azula felt her heart sink. She was talking about the Avatar, wasn't she?

Katara looked up at Azula and said, "After Aang saved that village from a volcano, I thought he was that bender for a long time."

Cocking her eyebrow, Azula asked, "He wasn't?"

"Believe it or not, I went to her for advice. I'm not sure why, but she was the first person I thought of. I was right, she didn't, but she decided it would be best to see what my fortune would say. And… I'm not even sure I should be telling you this."

She was not sure if she was going too far, but Azula reached up and cupped Katara's cheek in her hand. "I just told you, you can tell me anything."

Katara's heart was beating faster than it ever had. She grew nervous and felt her cheeks burn. Feeling Azula's hand against her felt electric. It felt like she belonged to Azula. Her eyes widened and she shot to her feet. She muttered some kind of lame excuse for suddenly leaving and ran out the door. Azula was left, still holding her hand up to where Katara's cheek had just been. She clenched her fist and stood up.

"Shit. That was too far. I scared her away." Azula commented to herself.

Mai was sitting in one of the dens with Katara. Mai was staring at her dully before saying, "If this has to do with Azula, forget about it."

Katara cocked an eyebrow and said, "But I haven't said anything yet."

"You don't have to," Mai said, her expression remaining the same, "Zuko told me that you and her have been spending a lot of time together. I figured this would happen sooner or later. You'd call me for help for some reason." She shifted a bit and continued, "Here's my advice: forget about it, forget about her, forget you ever came here. Do yourself a favor and leave. No, she doesn't care about you. Yes, whatever she said, she is lying. This is what she does. She gets good people like you around her finger and then uses them to achieve her goal."

Standing up, Katara yelled, "No, she has changed! If she wanted, she could have broken out of that place at any time. She's only staying in there because she thinks it's best for Zuko and she thinks she deserves it!"

Mai finally showed an emotion: laughter. She laughed at Katara. "Oh, you're so cute. No wonder she was able to trick you so fast." Her face went back to emotionless. "Listen to me, okay? It's true. If she wanted to, she could break out of that cell of hers. But then, she would have Zuko and all of the Fire Nation after her for the rest of her life. She isn't stupid. She knows they would catch her again and this time she would go to a real prison. Instead, she waits. She's patient. Some innocent Water Tribe girl visits her. She gets her to fall in love with her—yes, I know about that too—and then the Water Tribe girl convinces everyone that Azula is good now. Zuko may make the mistake of believing you and letting her out. Hell, she might even honor you and spend her life with you. She's devious like that. She would be willing to be a lesbian, if it meant being free again."

Katara stepped back, shaking her head. It all fit. What Mai was saying, it was all logical. Her brain was saying that, but her heart spoke first, "I don't believe it. A… Azula loves me! I know she does! And…I love her!"


	6. Chapter 6: The Prodigy Returns

"You love her, huh?" A boy's voice says from the direction of the door.

Katara turned on her heel and saw Aang starting in the doorway. His eyes were waving behind tears, Katara could see them shining from where she was. Mai stood up and started walking away.

"I don't do this whole drama thing. See you guys later." She called back to them as she walked into another room.

Aang and Katara were left in the den alone. Alone with the silence. Aang looked away, she could tell he was trying to waterbend the tears out of his eyes. He turned back to her and walked over, smiling as he said, "That's great. I really hope that I'm wrong and she accepts your feelings, Katara."

This was awkward to say the very least. Katara smiled at him a bit and said, "Now who's lying? Aang, I still love you. I just…don't love you in that way. That's why things never work between us. You want me to be a friend with benefits and I want more than that."

"How come you love her, though? I could probably handle anyone else, but her?" Aang was struggling not to let any tears in his eyes. "Why?"

Shrugging, Katara answered, "I wish I knew why, Aang, but I don't. It just happened. I didn't even realize it until now."

Aang stared at her intensely and then exclaimed, "So is the only reason why you think she's changed is because you want to believe it? You want to believe she's a better person so you can be with her?"

"Of course not!" Katara yelled in response, "What kind of girl do you think I am? I've talked to her and spent time with her. She has changed. I don't think I could fall in love with someone who was evil. Could you?"

Silence filled the room once again. They just stood there for what seemed like hours until the Avatar broke it. "I'm sorry that I keep saying stupid things; I never mean them. My mouth just keeps getting ahead of my brain."

Katara smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for getting so angry at you. I just…don't think we make a good couple. We make great friends, though." She knew it was a lame line, but what else was she going to say? Especially since it was true.

Turning away, Aang said, "I'm going to leave now. I already stayed here longer than I should." He walked away.

Just as soon as Katara thought she would be getting a break, she heard stomping coming down the hall heading her way. No way. She didn't. She wouldn't have. Fire Lord Zuko came storming into the room and stared her down. She did. That Mai went straight to Zuko and told him everything. Note to self: Mai can't keep a secret. She was a poor choice for a confidant anyway.

"Tell me what I just heard wasn't true!" Zuko exclaimed, literally burning.

Smiling sheepishly, Katara asked, "Which part?"

"That you've been using my sanctioned visits to seduce my sister!" Zuko yelled in reply.

Cocking an eyebrow, Katara said, "Think back to what you just said."

Zuko did and then blushed a bit in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah, I don't see you being the type to do something like that." He pointed at her. "But still! Are you not in love with my sister?"

She walked up to him and looked him straight in the eye and said, "Yes, I am."

Trying hard to remain calm, he put his hands on her shoulders and said, "This is bad. Katara, if Azula finds out about this, it won't end well for anyone, especially you. You'll end up with a broken heart. I don't want to see that."

Katara had enough. She pushed Zuko's hands off of her and yelled, "Why does everyone keep treating me like this? Worse yet, everyone treats Azula like she's some kind of monster that needs to be caged up forever."

"Why are we even having this discussion?" Zuko bellowed. "This is not up for discussion." He threw his hand down diagonally for effect. He pointed at her. "You were there. During Sozin's Comet, you saw her! She _is_ a monster!"

"No, she's not. She was mentally crippled during that time. She's gotten better! You haven't seen her! You haven't seen her, truly seen her! You haven't joked with her, talked with her, saw her laugh… Oh, Zuko! She's so beautiful when she laughs. She looks like an angel." Katara placed her hands on her chest, she could feel her heart beating fast from just thinking about it.

The Fire Lord blinked incredulously. Wow, she had it bad. He never thought that he would see someone who was actually in love with his sister. She was always so cruel and ruthless, even when they were kids. Katara, on the other hand, has always been kind and gentle. He threw his hands in the air and yelled out the obvious, "You two are complete opposites! How you two can even stand to be in the same room with each other is a mystery in and of itself!"

Looking up at Zuko, Katara ignored that latest outburst and said, "Let's go talk to Azula. If what you and Mai are saying is true, then her plan is a bust at this point. This was not the best way for you to have found out. If she really is as heartless as you say she is, she won't have any desire to be with me anymore now that she's been exposed."

Zuko rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know. It sounds risky. What if she had been planning this. When she realizes her one shot to get one has been blown, she might get desperate and do something dangerous. On the other hand, she realizes that she has to admit she's in love with you and then she does something stupid and dangerous."

"What makes you think she'll do something dangerous no matter what?" Katara asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Because I know my sister. People who are in love do stupid things and whatever my sister does in a pinch will always be dangerous."

"I'll be there and you'll be there. I don't think that she'll be quite that difficult even if she does get desperate. If she tries to escape or something, I will help you track her down. If she's stupid enough to try, then I'll agree that she's still too dangerous to be free. Even if I have to spend my life seeing her in a cell, I'll do it if I have to." Katara explained, looking strangely serious. Zuko could tell that she meant every word.

Katara and the Fire Lord started on their trip to Azula's chamber. Katara looked up at him and said, "Please give me a few minutes alone with her first. I… She doesn't know about my feelings."

Zuko looked back and said simply, "Yes, she does."

Looking taken aback, Katara furrowed her brow a bit and asked, "How do you know?"

"Even if her feelings for you are sincere, she would have known before you did. You're younger and more innocent than she is. She can tell when someone is in love with her. She's manipulated others by turning their love against them before." The Fire Lord gave her his rather blunt explanation.

When they got to the chamber, the guards went into attention and saluted Zuko. He leaned over to the captain and whispered something to him. He grew a little nervous and summoned one of his subordinates and whispered something to him too. The subordinate's face jolted with fear and then he nodded and ran down the hall. Katara guessed Zuko told them to plan for a possible escape attempt and the younger guard went outside to warn the others. The captain fumbled with the keys a bit longer than usual today and opened the door. The two of them walked in and the captain slammed the door shut behind Katara.

Azula was stretched out on her bed, arms behind her back, legs crossed, and a smirk on her face. Upon seeing her brother she called, "Oh, hello, Zuzu."

Zuko seemed shocked to see her sister like this. The last time he saw her, she would not even speak to anyone while looking them in the eye. Now, she seemed to have completely recovered. That old fire was back in her eye. She was back at full strength in firebending as well. There was absolutely nothing keeping her in this cell now. Except… Zuko looked at Katara. No, it can't be. Azula, could you be staying here for Katara's sake? You don't want to leave her?

Suddenly, Azula flipped off the bend and landed next to Katara, who she put her right arm around. Katara blushed deeply. "Ooo! I think Zuzu figured it out halfway. Don't worry, brother, you were always a few steps behind me."

Katara opened her mouth, but Azula put her finger on it. "Shh! I know, Katara. I love you too. You never needed to say it, I knew." She smirked darkly and announced, "And now that I have my girl, there's nothing stopping me from escaping from this dump and returning to my former power!"

The Fire Lord jumped back and got into his stance, ready to defend himself against her. Katara cocked her eyebrow angrily and stomped on Azula's foot, who winced. "Don't joke like that, Azula. He thinks you're serious."

Azula rolled her eyes and then looked at her brother. "Calm down, Zuzu. If I wanted to escape, I would have did it a while ago and grabbed Katara along the way. We would have been long gone before you could say failure."

Smiling Katara explained, "Believe it or not, Azula has been like this for a while. She stayed in her for _your_ sake. She played the part of the bad guy, so you would look good in the eyes of the people."

Zuko could not believe it. Was all of this true? Why would she do this? He stepped forward and asked, "Why? Why would you do such a thing? I don't see any way you would have profited from such a plan. You have never done anything for me my entire life. Not once!"

Holding up her hand, Azula replied calmly, "And that's why. Zuzu, I've been in this cell for two years. In that time, I've thought a lot about what I've done and what I could have done better. At first, I was bitter and I wanted to escape, but my bending was pitiful. No matter what I did, my bending was weak. I didn't understand why. After going through hell and back, I noticed that my flame was still burning inside of me, but it felt different somehow. It was about that time that Katara began to see me. I noticed my bending returning, but it was different. It didn't feel chaotic, it felt warm in a good way. It was like having to learn firebending all over again, but I managed to relearn everything."

"Are you telling me that you managed to find your inner sun, draw your power from your newfound love for Katara, and relearn your firebending techniques in just two weeks?" Zuko asked, wide-eyed and shocked.

Azula wagged her finger at Zuko and smirked as she said, "That's the difference between a prodigy and the son."


	7. Chapter 7: Dinner and Politics

"Honestly, Zuzu, you're taking this a bit personally, aren't you?" Azula said on one side of the garden. After claiming to have re-mastered firebending using her new source, Zuko had challenged her to an Agni Kai.

He glared at her and yelled, "Just admit that you're lying and I'll stop!"

Tilting her head, Azula asked, "About which part?"

"Everything!" He barked.

Azula frowned and said, "No, sorry, I'm not lying about anything, especially not about Katara. If you want to know how real my love for her is, you're about to find out."

Katara could not take this anymore, she ran over to Azula and pulled on her arm. "Stop this! You don't need to fight!"

She looked down at Katara and explained, "That's not up to me. He was the one who challenged me. If I ran away, I would be a coward."

"And how will it look when the Fire Lord loses to one of his subjects? Wouldn't that damage Zuko's reputation?" Katara argued.

Dropping her stance, Azula nodded to Katara and said, "She's right. I can't fight you, Zuzu."

Zuko stared at here, not believing what he just heard. "What? You're giving up just like that? What about your honor? You're the most powerful firebender in the nation!"

She pointed at him and smirked as she said, "So you admit it, you would have lost." Dropping her arm, she shook her head. "As for my honor, the moment I was outted as being crazy, I lost all the honor I would have ever had in my life. No one will ever take me seriously again."

"Honor is not something that is given; it is something that you earn for yourself," Zuko quoted his Uncle Iroh.

"That's a nice little blurb you picked up from Uncle, but we're in two different situations." Azula pointed upward and said, "And as for my firebending. I have mastered it again. Allow me to demonstrate."

A spark formed at the tip of her finger as she brought it down, across, and then back up again, a trail of sparks following her finger. Then, in a flash, lightning arched up into the sky above them. Zuko's eyes were wide with amazement. He still could not create lightning and he has had more time with this fire-bending technique than she did. Turning on her heal, she teased, "Always ahead of you, Zuzu. That's the natural order of things."

Katara looked up at Azula with annoyance. "Why do you have to antagonize him like that? And after he let you out of that cell."

Shrugging, Azula responded, "Because he's been slacking off. He needed someone to come and give him a kick in the butt."

Smiling, Katara shook her head and said, "I don't think I'll ever get used to how this family works. You yell at each other, keep secrets, degrade each other, but you really do care about each other."

Surprisingly, Zuko did not order Azula back to her chamber. Katara got to spend the entire day with her. The Fire Lord watched from a distance. Katara was attempting to tell a joke that Sokka liked to say, but she got the punch-line horribly wrong. Despite that, Azula still laughed.

"Hey, don't laugh! I was really trying, you know?" Katara whined and pouted.

Azula snickered and said, "But I thought you were supposed to laugh at jokes."

Katara blushed with embarrassment and rubbed her head. "Oh, yeah, you're right."

"Can someone really change that radically?" Mai asked as she walked up behind Zuko. "I've never seen Azula laugh like that. Not once. Well, unless she was lighting something on fire at the time."

Zuko looked at Mai and then back at his sister. "Two years of mostly solitary confinement? Yeah, most people would change radically from that kind of experience. We were fortunate that it affected her in a positive way."

"You sound pretty convinced that this isn't an act," Mai commented.

He looked at her and explained, "I tried to trap her a few times. I baited her. I knew that the old Azula would have fallen for them, but this one… She listens to reason, genuinely cares about Katara, and worries about me."

And so, every day was like this for two months. The guards unlocked Azula's cell every morning and she spent the day with Katara. At the end of the day, she would return to her chamber and be locked in again. The Fire Lord kept a close watch on her and presented her with many other traps along the way to test her new personality. He presented her with escape opportunities, attacks to her aggressive nature, and opportunities to take advantage of the weak. Zuko noticed that a few times, Katara would step in and be the voice of reason, so Azula still found herself tempted now and then.

It was another hot day in the Fire Palace when a large smacking sound echoed through the halls. Katara had just hit the dinner table. "What do you mean she can't leave?"

The Fire Lord looked back at her sternly. "She's still too dangerous. I have given her palace privileges back, so you should be thankful for that."

Azula looked at Katara curiously and asked, "Why do you want to leave the Palace anyway? I thought you were happy here."

Katara slid back down into her seat and said, "I'm happy with you, of course, but I would like to go to the South Pole to visit my village, Gran Gran, and Sokka." Azula stopped eating and looked at her seriously. "Besides, I've been writing back for a while now and Gran Gran wants to meet you."

"You told her about us?" Azula exclaimed.

Blushing, Katara shook her head. "No, not everything. I told her that we were close friends after I helped you through a rough time." She grinned at Azula and said, "It's not a complete lie."

Azula's brow furrowed with annoyance. "It's not the truth, either." She stood up and glared down at Katara. "You're the one who said we had to wait to take things to the next level until after we met your Grandmother!"

Katara blushed a deeper shade of crimson. "That's…kinda why I want to go. I want my Gran Gran to know about us, but I want to do in person."

"I got an idea!" Azula announced and then smiled at Katara. "We could send a ship to go pick up your family and bring them here!"

"Oh, that's a great idea. Right in the middle of our negotiations with the Water Tribe, we're going to send in one of our ships to scare the pants off everyone in the South Pole. Then Fire Nation soldiers will disbar and start demanding that certain members of the community get on." Zuko slammed his rice bowl down on the table and yelled, "They'll think it's a raid! Then my months of talking with the Water Tribe will have been for nothing!"

Crossing her arms, Azula chastised, "Well, Zuzu, if you would just let me go, we wouldn't have to be thinking up absurd alternatives to begin with."

He sat there, thinking for a little while and said, "Alright fine, but I can't send any soldiers with you, so Azula is your responsibility, Katara. You'll have to take one of the smaller ships that can't be mistaken as one of the naval ships."

Katara cleared her throat and said, "I know I'm not part of this family—yet—but I think our best option would be to hire a private charter to take us to the South Pole." She looked up at Azula and continued, "Azula, I don't want to go home just to see my family again. I want to go back home to be back home again." She turned to the Fire Lord and bowed in front of him. "Please allow Azula to accompany back to the Southern Water Tribe, so I may present her to my family."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He never expected Katara to ever bow to him, she must really want this. He clenched his fists. "I really want to allow her to go, mainly just for you, Katara. Unfortunately, negotiations with the Water Tribes have been rough. Azula's presence there might jeopardize everything I have been trying to accomplish. Azula is not good with subtlety or restraint, even if her intentions are good now."

Closing her eyes, Katara could feel her patience slipping away. It had been two years and the Water Tribes were still squabbling with the Fire Nation over minor things. After the war, the Fire Nation relinquished all of its conquered land back to its former rulers. Not only that, but Zuko agreed to pay for any damages caused by the Fire Nation. As such, the Fire Nation was not in the best shape anymore financially or militarily. The Water Tribe was taking advantage of this and making outrageous demands of the Fire Lord. Not only just that, but the Earth Kingdom was still rebuilding as well. Pockets off mini-kingdoms appeared in the absence of the Earth King and they were all run by tyrants or criminal lords. As such, the Water Tribes were seeing a golden age and were letting the power get to their heads.

Katara said quietly, "I'm sorry about my people's behavior. They're acting horribly during this time."

"No," Zuko shook his head, shame appearing on his face. "The Fire Nation deserves no pity. What we did during the war was much worse than anything the Water Tribe has been doing to us."

Mai put her chop sticks down and said frankly, "Even so, I don't think that gives them the right to walk all over us. The Water Tribe is very wealthy right now, so they no longer need our help. They're only kicking us while we're down at this point. If they keep going like this, another war will break out. The Fire Nation people will revolt."

Scoffing, Azula commented, "I'm glad I didn't become Fire Lord. All of these politics give me a migraine."

Standing up, Katara announced, "I'll be leaving for the South Pole."

Azula dropped her chop sticks and looked up at Katara. "What? But Zuko said we couldn't go."

"No, he said that you couldn't go," Katara corrected. She smiled down at Azula. "Of course, I really wish I could take you with me. I want you to learn about my culture, but we should listen to what Zuko said; he has a point. I've put off my return to my tribe for long enough. They need someone to go down there and smack some sense into them!"

Azula jumped to her feet and surprised Katara with the tears in her eyes, even though Azula was fighting them back. "You're going to come back, won't you?"

Sighing, Katara knew she could not lie, so she shook her head. "I'm not sure. I want to, but anything could happen, so I can't make such a promise during these turbulent times; however, I will try my hardest to come see you again. I'm just not sure how long it will be."

No, this couldn't happen. She would not allow it to happen! Azula rounded on Zuko and exclaimed, "I'm going with Katara and nobody is going to stop me!"

"Are you disobeying an order from your Fire Lord?" Zuko asked, flames blazing behind his eyes.

Azula took a moment to look back at Katara, who was watching her intently, and then to Mai who was calmly sipping her tea, and then back to Zuko. She nodded and got into her firebending stance. "Katara is more important to me than anything!"

The Fire Lord stood up from the table, shooting the princess a glare, but then suddenly smiled. "You've come a long way, Azula. Uncle would be proud."

A wave of confusion washed over Azula's face. A million questions rushed through her head at once, but the only thing she could manage to say was, "What?"

Zuko walked over and put his hand on Azula's shoulder, he had a look in his eyes that Azula had never seen before. He was genuinely proud of her. "There are things that are more important than duty, country, and obedience. One of those things is love. Love is always something worth fighting for." He pulled her away from Katara and Mai and whispered to her, "But I'm serious about keeping a low profile. Don't accidentally cause a war while you're there, got it?"

She whispered back, "Don't worry, Zuzu, I'm only going there to support Katara and meet her family. I'll act like a proper princess while I'm there. The only thing you'll hear about are the rumors that I'm apparently no longer crazy and that's it."

Nodding, Zuko pulled back from her and said, "Good."


	8. Chapter 8: Betrothed

With the news that Azula would be returning with her to the Southern Water Tribe, Katara felt like she was walking on air. She could not remember a time in her past where she was this happy. Well, maybe when the war ended. She stopped and looked up at the portrait of Zuko in the Hall of the Fire Lords. Speaking of the war, I would have never imagined something like this would be happening. I've spent the last two and half months in the Fire Palace, dating Azula of all people. During the war, she could not even have imagined that something like this was even possible.

She walked back to her bedroom and looked around. It definitely looked like her bedroom now. She sat down on the bed and picked up a poorly carved wooden figurine of a penguin that Sokka made her once. Still, it would be nice to finally go home. It felt like ages since the last time she saw her goofy brother. Looking up, she looked at all of the other Water Tribe memorabilia in the room. When had this place started feeling like home? She wondered.

A knock came from the open door and she turned to see Azula standing there. She came in and asked, "Before we go, we need to talk."

Katara set the figurine back down on the night stand and watched the princess walk over and sit next to her. She kind of figured this talk was going to happen soon. "Sure."

The princess blushed awkwardly and then rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm not good at talking about all of this …emotional stuff."

Smiling, she put her hand on Azula's arm and said, "I know. Just come out and tell me what you're feeling."

"I have to know if you're planning on staying there. For good. If you are, I'm still not sure if I want to." Azula said, painfully.

"How could you know? You've never lived there, so you don't know if you'll like it." Katara said, looking down. "Honestly, I don't know if I want to live there again. I don't. All I know at the moment is that I miss my family and I want to see them again."

Silence fell in the room, until Azula got a determined look on her face, shocking Katara for a second. "I asked Zuko about that necklace that you always wear. It's a betrothal necklace, isn't it?"

Katara touched the necklace and then her eyes widened. "Oh, no! No, no, no! Well, yes, it is a betrothal necklace, but I'm not betrothed!"

Azula started laughing, shocking Katara again. "I know you're not. Zuko told me that it's an heirloom now."

Katara nodded quickly, hoping that the princess had not gotten the wrong idea. Azula moved closer to Katara and put her arm around her, causing the waterbender to blush intensely. Digging into her pocket, the princess pulled something out, but kept it hidden in her hand. Curiosity filled Katara's head. What was she planning?

"Remember last week when Ty Lee randomly showed up and asked you to go shopping?" Azula asked, she looked strangely nervous. Katara thought it was really cute.

She shook her head. Focus! Katara looked at her and said, "Oh, yeah, it was pretty weird, but Ty Lee is fun to shop with."

The princess was now bright red. She continued awkwardly, "That's good. anyway, there was a reason she showed up. I was busy that day…making something for you. Something special and I wanted it to be a surprise."

Katara looked at Azula suspiciously and then her eyes shot down to Azula's hand. "A surprise? What is it?"

"Well, I actually wasn't going to give it to you so soon, but now that we're going to be leaving to meet your family I realized it was now or never. Your family will be suspicious of me and they have every right to be; however, if you have some kind of symbol of my love and commitment to you, then maybe it would curb most of the doubt." Azula could feel her composure breaking down, nervous sweat was collecting in her hands.

Looking at Azula, Katara felt excitement building inside of her. A symbol of Azula's love and commitment? She couldn't mean… There's no way. Her first instinct was to ask, but her second instinct appeared and smacked it away. No, she should be quiet now. Something magical was about to happen, she was sure of it.

Azula held up the closed hand and opened it. Sitting on her hand was a necklace similar to her grandmother's, except this one had a dark red ribbon and the brooch was made out of red and clear fused glass. It had the Fire Nation insignia on it, embossed with dark red glass. It was a betrothal necklace! "By accepting this necklace, do you accept that you'll be mine and you'll marry me?"

Looking back up at Katara, Azula noticed the girl's eyes shining with tears. The waterbender suddenly hugged Azula and kissed her. "I do! I will be your fiancée!"

This was officially the happiest day of her life so far. Azula took her old necklace off and then put on her new necklace, her real betrothal necklace. Katara found a small box in her nightstand and carefully placed her grandmother's necklace inside. Then excitedly Katara ran over to a mirror and looked at herself.

Azula walked after her and looked at her enjoying her gift and smiled, still blushing. "You look beautiful."

Katara turned around to face the princess, smiling brightly. She appeared to be glowing. Absolutely radiant, Azula could not help herself; she took the waterbender in her arms and kissed her. The Fire Nation Princess had never thought that something like this would ever happen to her. She's had lovers in the past, but they were only interested in her wealth or power, or they were simply too scared of her to reject her. Katara was the first one who ever accepted her for who she was.

The princess pulled Katara away and looked down at her as she said, "You realize that while I'm a better person now, I probably will never be a goody-goody like the Avatar."

"I know," Katara replied, "but the Avatar does raise the bar pretty high. Most people wouldn't be able match him. What's important is that you did change."

Pulling Katara back into a hug, Azula felt like she was at peace for the first time in her life. She was ready to face anything that would come their way now.

Looking behind her, Azula called back, "It's not polite to eavesdrop, Zuzu."

Katara blushed. Was zuko listening from somewhere? She looked at the door because she noticed Azula was and saw the Fire Lord emerge from the hall, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Trying to distract them from his behavior, Zuko cleared his throat and smiled at Katara. "Welcome to the family, Katara! This old palace has been brighter with you here."

Once again, Katara bowed before him and said, "Thank you for accepting me into your family."

Zuko dismissed it and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm glad to have you here."

Katara walked over to her bed and pulled out a box from underneath it. Azula looked at it and cocked an eyebrow. "Since we're giving gifts, there's something I want to give you, Azula. I was waiting for the right time and I guess now is the perfect time."

Azula walked over to the bed and looked down at the box as Katara opened it. At first, the princess could not tell what it was, but she recognized it as a large coat when Katara pulled it out. It resembled a Water Tribe coat, but it was red and dark red with Fire Nation designs on it.

"I had hoped for a while now that when I returned home you would come with me, so I've been making this for you," Katara explained.

The princess took the coat and help it up and looked at the intricate embroidery and smiled. "You have talent with sewing, don't you?"

Katara nodded a bit, blushing. Azula walked over to the other side of the bed and once again held the shorter girl in her arms. "Thank you, Katara; I love it. Spares me from having to buy a coat too."

Smiling, Katara replied, "I figured you didn't own a coat. You never need one here in the Fire Nation."

The next morning, Katara and Azula were packed. Well, Azula had some servants pack her clothes. She still enjoyed being a princess in that regard, but her servants were happy that the princess had started treating them well since Katara showed up. Well, before Katara showed up, Azula did not treat them like anything, she was always quiet. And before that, it was a nightmare.

Azula, unlike most princesses, was used to traveling, so she knew to pack light when going on a trip. The princess was wearing a simple Fire Nation outfit. It was elaborate enough for people to know she was of the upper-class, but not enough to reveal her identity. Her goal was to keep a low profile. If she went marching around in her old armor, everyone would recognize her immediately. Besides, she put that armor away into storage. There were too many bad memories attached to it.

Katara and her were at the palace's gates. The Fire Lord and Lady were there to see them off. Mai was looking as emotionless and bored as usual. Zuko was giving Azula some last minute tips to avoid problems in the Southern Water Tribe.

"The biggest thing to avoid is firebending. They are already going to be watching you closely because they know you're a firebender. They might be looking for an excuse to send you back." He said seriously, his eyebrows furrowed a bit.

The waterbender stepped forward and said, "Zuko, are things really that bad? Asking Azula not to firebend is like asking her not to breathe. She practices every day."

Azula put her hand on Katara's shoulder and smirked at her. "Give me more credit, will you? I can handle not firebending for a little while." She looked back to Zuko and said, "Oh, and Zuzu, you better get started on giving me a nephew. Stop holding back and just go for it!"

The Fire Lord turned as red as a tomato and exclaimed, "Azula!" Then he shifted his eyes a bit and whispered back, "You got it."

Mai's ear twitched and then she punched Zuko in the shoulder. "Don't go deciding that without me!"

Katara and Azula had a laugh at their bickering. They soon said their good-byes and walked out of the palace. An escort was waiting there and they followed the two of them down to the pier. This was awkward for Katara. She had never been part of a royal escort before. Azula had denied them the use of the procession, but it was still drawing a lot of attention.

She felt a lot better after they made it onto the charter boat. It looked like it was ordinarily a fishing boat, but the Fire Lord must have offered the captain a large advance in payment to convince him to take a charter instead. It was a setting that Katara was used to, but when she looekd over at Azula she realized she was alone in that feeling. Azula was looking around anxiously at the dirty poop deck. That's right, Azula was used to the royal treatment. This must be a bit jarring for her. She walked over and took Azula's hand, surprisingly Katara noticed that the princess calmed down when she did.

Looking out at the ocean, Azula was more worried about other things than the state of the boat. Could she pull off keeping a low profile in a foreign country? Would Katara's family like her? She already knew her brother hated her, but he hadn't saw her since the war. She's changed and I'm sure Katara sent him letters telling him. Knowing that guy, though, he will stubbornly cling to his old image of her. She could save the world single-handedly and he still would hate her. She would be frustrated or even angry with that idea if she was not so thoroughly convinced that she deserved his hatred.


	9. Chapter 9: Homecoming

Eventually, Azula noticed that she needed to wear heavier clothes and more layers as the ship continued to the south. Katara seemed to be taking the colder temperatures in stride, though; it was almost as if she welcomed them. Azula saw the girl in question standing on the deck, watching the waterbender stare out across the ocean in anticipation warmed the princess's heart. Despite many people thinking her heart was frozen in ice.

Princess Azula wondered if Katara had thought everything through completely. Was Katara really expecting that her future wife would be accepted her family so easily? Katara was definitely an optimist and she was a skeptic. They balanced each other out in many aspects. It was not so much that Katara was her opposite, Azula was beginning to think that Katara was just simply her other half. They needed each other.

Walking up next to her, Azula put her arm around Katara and pulled her close. "This is going to be rough. You know that, right?"

Katara's smile faded and she looked up at Azula, worried. "I was trying not to think about it." She leaned into Azula and continued, "I guess I shouldn't lie to you, my family isn't very fond of the Fire Nation. Even though the war is over, Sokka and my father still bare grudges."

"That's what I figured," The princess thought out loud.

The two of them were silent for a moment and then Katara gripped her lover tightly and said, "Listen, whatever happens, I love you. We'll work through this together. It won't be easy, but my family isn't unreasonable. It'll take a long discussion, but they'll accept you. I know they will!"

Azula knew that Katara was not really talking to her, she was talking to herself; reassuring herself. Unfortunately, Azula never had that kind of positive attitude. She saw an obstacle before her and she would have to clear it.

The days wore on and eventually, Azula had to take out the coat that Katara made, along with some gloves and boots that Katara made during the trip. It was beginning to get cold even in the boat's cabin. Katara was wearing her familiar Water Tribe garb now and she still seemed unfazed by the deepening cold. When it came to the Fire Nation Princess, she was adjusting. Every now and then she found she had to revitalize herself with a puff of fire from her mouth to keep her upper respiratory system warm, so she would not get sick later.

Finally, after what seemed like a year on the ocean, they saw their destination on the horizon. Katara informed her that they were lucky that they could actually see it. Usually the fog or snow made it impossible to see the village until you got much closer. Well, village was no longer the right word. All of the scattered villages of the South Pole had gathered together to rebuild the Southern Water Tribe's capital city. It was now equipped with a large gate, somewhat similar to the one that the North had, but less elaborate. Waterbenders pulled the gates open as they approached and they smoothly sailed into the harbor of the city. Katara was looking around in amazement as was Azula. She had not been expecting anything like this. The Southern Water Tribe had not just restored their city, but vastly improved it. Tall buildings had been created out of ice; Katara was certain that waterbenders built most of the structures.

As they made port, Katara noticed a group of people run over to the boat. Had they been waiting? Some of the children Katara recognized as the same group of children from her village. She quickly ran across the deck of the boat and hopped off to the ice dock. The group of children all huddled around her to hug her.

"Long time now see," A young man called. Katara looked out and noticed a man standing there with the sides of his head nearly shaved and a long pony—I mean, wolf tail. He was wearing the traditional blue garb with a sword strapped to his belt.

Katara gave him a warm smile. "Sokka. I hardly recognized you."

Grinning, Sokka flicked his wrist, failing at being cool, and said, "Oh, yeah! You better believe it! I'm all grown up now. I don't even compare to how I used to be."

Katara's eyes flatten and she muttered, "Actually, no, you're exactly the same."

"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed in mock anger, and then he smiled. "Seriously, it's good to see—"

Before Sokka could finish his sentence, something caught his eye. Something red. The boat had finally came to a stop and had been properly anchored. A person in a red coat stepped onto the boat. The children looked up at the strange woman and noticed the Fire Nation insignia on her coat. The smaller children gripped Katara's legs in fear.

Katara was trying to calm the children when Azula looked directly at Sokka, she could not help but give him a smirk. Sokka rushed forward and instructed the children to get back. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and glared at the princess. "What are you doing here?"

Grabbing Sokka's arm, Katara pulled him away from Azula. Well, not very far because Sokka fought back a bit, but far enough that he was not within slashing range anymore. "Stop it, Sokka! She isn't here to fight."

Sokka gave Katara a skeptical look, but decided to believe her. He gave Azula another glare and then asked, "Okay, fine, but why is she here?"

"I'm going to tell you soon. For now, all you need to know is that she's interested in learning about our culture. Trust me, she's changed and we're friends now." Katara attempted to explain, but Sokka still did not look convinced.

Taking his hand off his sword, Sokka walked over to Azula and said, "Fine. The war is over, so I have no right to attack you." He squinted his eyes at her and then continued, "But I haven't forgotten the things that you did. I'm not sure why you're not in prison right now, but mark my words: if you so much as put a pinky toe out of line, you'll regret it."

He turned and walked back to Katara. He tried not to look at her because he did not want Katara to see him this angry. He announced, "I'm supposed to take you and your guest to our house."

"Sokka," Katara said warmly, "Gran Gran didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't," The warrior answered simply and then led them away from the dock.

They walked down a street and eventually came to a rather large structure. There was a large Southern Water Tribe insignia on the outside just above the door. When they walked inside, they found Gran Gran, Master Pakku, and Suki seated around a fire on floor cushions. There were was a doorway that looked like it led into the kitchen and stairs that went up to a second floor. Azula guessed that was where the bedrooms were. When Suki spotted the Fire Nation Princess walk through the entrance, she dropped her sea prune and leapt to her feet.

Azula looked at her and then commented, "I'm beginning to notice a pattern here."

When Sokka walked passed Suki, he touched her shoulder, which seemed to calm her down enough to become audible again. "What's going on here? What's she doing here?"

"Apparently, she came to study our culture," Sokka said in a dull voice while he poked at the sea prunes.

Suki gritted her teeth and looked like she had to put a lot of concentration into remaining civil. She walked over to the princess and jabbed her finger into Azula's shoulder. "This is my house now, too. I'll allow Katara to come inside, but not you. Please leave."

Looking to Katara, Azula said, "Katara, maybe I should go find an inn."

"No," The waterbender answered flatly, "Family stays together under the same roof. It's part of our culture."

Sokka cocked an eyebrow and a goofy look of confusion formed on his face. "Who da what now? What's this about family? That demon princess isn't part of our family, Katara. Have you lost it?"

That was it! Katara walked over to Gran Gran and knelt down by her. "Gran Gran, did my letter not arrive? Of course it did, you were expecting me. Why didn't you tell anyone else about Azula?"

Her grandmother smiled at her and said, "I did. I told Pakku, but he said it was best not to tell anyone else."

Rounding on Master Pakku, Katara demanded, "Why did you say that?"

"To protect Azula," Pakku replied calmly. "If Kanna had told Sokka about her, he would have been waiting for her with a troupe of his warrior friends."

"That's not true!" Katara exclaimed, but then looked over at Sokka. "Right, Sokka?"

Sokka closed his eyes and then said, "No, he's right. I would want to make sure that everyone here was safe, including you." He threw aside a spoon he had been fiddling with and then pointed down at Katara as he yelled, "A better question is why you brought her here in the first place! Have you forgotten that it was because of her that Suki was in prison? Did it slip your mind that she nearly killed Aang? How could you have become friends with a witch like her?"

Katara stood up and grabbed Sokkaa by his collar. "Careful what you say about her! She's made mistakes, okay? She wouldn't deny it. That's why she's putting up with all of you right now: she's guilty." Sokka blinked in surprise. "Look at her! Would the Azula you know from the war be standing there taking this?"

Taking a moment, Sokka looked at Azula and then appeared as if he was studying her for a moment. She's right. Katara was right. The Azula I knew would have sliced my head off or something by now, especially after calling her a witch. The princess was not making eye contact with anyone, she just stood there by the door looking at the ground.

"Okay," Sokka began, looking back at Katara, "Let's say she is truly sorry for the things that she did. I still have one question in my mind that's bugging me."

"And that is?" Katara asked, eyeing her brother.

He cleared his throat and then asked loudly, "Why do you care so much? You keep defending her as if we're attacking you."

Staring him straight in the eye, she answered, "Because you might as well be." This caused everyone in the house to take their eyes off Azula and place them on her. She sighed and then pulled down her hood to reveal Azula's betrothal necklace. "I lied. Azula and I aren't friends, we're lovers. She asked me to marry her."


	10. Chapter 10: Family Bonding

Katara was panicking. She had planned on easing into her announcement that she was engaged to Azula. Everyone's eyes were on her. Looking at the princess by the door, Azula nodded and walked over to give her fiancée some support. Before she could get across the room, however, the cloth hanging over the doorway was disturbed and Hakoda—Katara and Sokka's father—appeared.

Noticing the awkward atmosphere of the scene, he asked, "Did something strange happen again? I swear I have to stop going on these walks because every time—"

"No, Dad, this isn't like Gran Gran's giant crab cake incident. This is much more serious." Sokka said, holding up a hand.

The chief noticed Katara and smiled as he said, "Welcome home, Katara. How do you like the new house? I told the waterbenders that I didn't need anything fancy, but they insisted."

Katara smiled, happy that someone was at least making her feel welcome. "It's wonderful, Dad. I'm glad that things are going so well for the Water Tribe."

Turning to Azula, Chief Hakoda gave her a bow and said, "It's an honor to have you in our home, Princess Azula. I hope you enjoy your stay in our city."

Shocked, Azula returned the bow and said, "It is honor to have the privilege to see your city and learn about your culture. I hope you don't mind that I'll be staying here for a while."

Getting to his feet, Sokka walked up to his father and said intensely, "What do you think you're doing, Dad? She's Azula! Don't you remember all the things I told you about her? How can you be so nice to her after everything that she has done? Plus, she is Fire Nation!"

"The war is over, Sokka, and the Fire Nation has more than paid for its crimes. From what I've heard, Azula had it much harder than most after the war. If we go into this new era of peace with closed-minds and rage in our hearts, then another war will be inevitable. Except that the Water Tribe will be the ones who start it." Hakoda said, closing his eyes, wondering how his own son could be so blind.

Katara stepped forward and began to say, "That's one of the reason that—"

Pointing at Katara, Sokka interrupted her, "Don't you dare try to change the subject! Tell Dad what you just told us."

Looking away, Katara started to think. She knew there was no way out of this. Besides, the rest of the family already knew, if she did not tell him they would. She had to be decisive. She had to show them that she was not a little girl anymore. She–

"My, that's a beautiful necklace you're wearing, Katara," The chief said suddenly, shocking her back into reality.

Reaching up, Katara gingerly touched Azula's necklace and blushed. "Dad, about that, as you know, I decided to stay at the palace in the Fire Nation because Azula was having some problems. She had come a long way since her coronation, but I could tell she needed my help, so I stayed and took care of her." She looked around and noticed the confused looks. "Granted, when I first got there, Zuko told me that she had gotten better, so I was expecting the same evil Azula from the war. Instead, I met a woman who was broken, who was so torn up over the evil she had done that she had lost her firebending."

Sokka blinked and then looked to Azula and asked, "Is that true?"

Nodding, Azula explained, "Yes, unfortunately. My firebending was as weak as a child's. It didn't have any intensity, life, or form. It was like my bending was dead. Without my drive to become Fire Lord and prove myself to Father or my rage and confidence as a princess, my bending was fizzling out. I had no source to draw my flame from."

Azula lost her bending? She really was ashamed of what she did during the war? Sokka could not believe he was hearing, but he knew Katara would not lie.

"After I started visiting her, I noticed life returning to her. I was not sure why at first, but I think Azula realized that she was in love with me from the start." Katara began, speaking softly, holding on to the necklace as she did.

"I did know from the start, Katara. I could tell you were in love with me too, but you didn't realize it yet. I noticed the way you looked at me. I had heard that Zuko found another source for firebending other than rage and decided to focus on this emotion, love. I didn't get used to it right away, but after an afternoon of practicing, I began to notice that my firebending was returning. The more I drew on my feelings for Kataraa and the stronger those feelings got over time, the stronger my bending was." Azula said, smirking a bit.

Letting go over her necklace, Katara continued, "Just after I decided to leave, Azula proposed to me. Azula wanted me and all of you to know how much she loved me through this necklace; how much so was committed and how much she changed."

Sokka walked over to Azula and extended his hand. "Look, I'm not saying I like you or anything, but you do seem to make my sister really happy. Welcome to the family."

Looking at his hand for a moment, Azula reached out and shook it. Azula noticed his grip was a little tighter than it needed to be. Of course he wasn't going to like her, she never expected him to. Katara, though, had expected that things would go a lot smoother than this. Suki remained silent, not making eye contact with anyone. The princess could tell she was still very angry and would probably never accept Azula. She also thought that this was acceptable. Would she forgive someone who threw her in prison for doing nothing wrong? Probably not.

Master Pakku finally spoke up, stroking his beard, "A new source of firebending, huh? Very interesting. To think that fire could be fueled by positive emotions too."

"Now that I had mastered this new form of firebending, Zuko told me what I had stumbled into. He told me that fire has two sides to it; it isn't just pain and destruction. Fire is also the source of life and love. We, the Fire Nation, were so badly burned because of our selfish uses of such a sacred element. The spirits are still punishing our nation for it." Azula explained, surprising everyone—including Katara—with her newfound insight.

Clearing his throat, Chief Hakoda said, "At any rate, my daughter is getting married! We shouldn't be frowning or talking about such things right now. It's time to celebrate!"

They spent the day talking. Hakoda answered all of Azula's questions about the Water Tribe's history and culture. Sokka was surprised that the princess actually took a genuine interest in their culture. For Azula it was only natural for her to be interested. She wanted to know more about Katara, so finding out about the culture that she came from just made sense.

Gran Gran, Katara, and Suki left to go prepare dinner later on and Azula was left in the room with the men. There she was, sitting there in a proper kneeling posture, holding her tea elegantly. The two Southern Water Tribe men had relaxed composures and the older man was sitting a bit more proper, but there was a looseness in his muscles. The firebender could not help but feel like she stood out quite a bit in terms of manners. Well, she was royalty.

The princess laughed a bit, nervously. "Sorry, I've never cooked before. I would just get in the way."

"It makes sense that you wouldn't need to cook," Sokka said simply, gazing into the fire.

Raising a curious brow, Azula asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Sokka looked back at her dully. "Well, someone in the relationship has to wear the pants, right? Katara is the girl and you're the guy."

"I'm a girl!" Azula exclaimed back at him.

Putting his hands down in front of him in parallel lines, Sokka replied, "I meant metaphorically. You're the man in the relationship."

Thinking back to all of their interactions, romantic and otherwise, Azula shook her head. "Honestly, I don't think either of us are. There's times where she's in control of a situation and times where I am. Besides, I think it's a bit juvenile to believe in such rigid gender roles. And it's silly to believe in them when you're both the same gender."

"It's best that the both of you be yourselves in your relationship," Hakoda contributed.

"I agree," Master Pakku said, sipping some tea, "In this day in age, there's really no place for such things. Women have a lot to contribute to society, so they much be respected."

Sokka threw his arms down and exclaimed, "You tried to keep Katara from learning waterbending because she was a girl!"

The waterbending master smirked. "Oh, I did, and she proved me wrong. Not only did she prove that females could be excellent waterbenders, but she became the most powerful waterbender of this age. I was humbled, to say the least, and realized my error. I wished to teach other girls willing to learn, but the Chief of the Northern Tribe wouldn't allow it. That was some of the reason I decided to move here."

"Look," Azula called their attention back to her, "You guys don't need to pretend this isn't awkward. Sokka, you don't need to pretend to get along with me. If I was you, I would hate me too. What I did to your wife and to the Avatar, I'll never forgive myself for." Turning to Hakoda, she continued, "Plus, I'm a girl and I'm sure you didn't plan on your daughter marrying another woman."

Putting his hand on Azula's shoulder, Sokka gave the princess a bit of a start. She looked back at him and he said, "That's probably why I was able to let it go. I see that you've punished yourself over it all this time. Plus, I guess it's just isn't in me to hold personal grudges."

"And you're right," The chief said, "I wasn't expecting Katara to marry another woman, but she is. It's her decision and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Such a thing probably would never happen in the Northern Water Tribe," Master Pakku commented.

Sokka leaned his elbow on his knee and eyed the old man as he said, "Yeah, but that's only because women don't have a choice in who they marry. If they did, it probably would happen up there. It happens here because girls can choose and they should have that right. I can't imagine what it must be like for those girls who like girls but are forced into marrying a man. It must be rough."

Azula blushed and said, "Honestly, I never suspected that I could fall in love with another girl before, but I guess I should have seen it coming. I've never been interested in boys. It was weird, though, when I saw Katara after all that time, I never realized how beautiful she was until I saw her close up. I almost always saw her when I was fighting, so I never paid attention. The moment I saw her, I knew—I just knew that I was in love. Just like that." Nervously, she brushed some hair away from her eye. "I must sound silly."

The chief shook his head and said, "No, you don't. We all know what you're talking about. Everyone should know. What matters most to me has always been the happiness of my children. You bring Katara happiness, Azula; that's what matters to me. I haven't seen Katara with such a smile since before her mother died."

"But I thought that Katara's mother died when she was still just a child," The princess mused.

Hakoda nodded and replied, "She did, but it was a rough time back then. Most of the men were gone and the other mothers were busy with their own children. Katara had to grow up quickly, even if her body was still young. She was always so focused on taking care of Sokka that she didn't have fun anymore; she wasn't allowed to be a child."

"I understand. It's my fault. If that war never happened, your wife would still be here and you would have never had to have gone off to war." Azula said, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Don't blame yourself," Sokka said, surprising the princess. He was looking at her intently. "When Katara was a kid, you were too. What could you have done? Not to mention that the war hurt Zuko and you just as much as us. You lost your mother to the war, your father was a prick—no offense—and pitted Zuko and you together into a sick rivalry. It's no wonder that you both had issues to work through."

Sokka surprised himself too. He always liked to think of Azula as evil incarnate. This devil lady who thought nothing of others and only got her entertainment off of the ruination of the world. It was simpler that way. The reality was much more complicated than that. After talking to her like this, Sokka could see a woman of flesh and blood before him. This was the girl that Katara had fallen in love with. She seemed ready to take the full blame for the war, even if that meant spending her life as an object of hate. Zuko and her really were brother and sister; they were so much alike.


	11. Chapter 11: A Quiet Breakfast

The rest of the night was full of fun and excitement. Sokka had come up with a bunch of new jokes. While they were lame, they still managed to even make the princess chuckle. She especially enjoyed the one about the earthbender and the beaver. They even performed an ancient Water Tribe tradition where the couple of the betrothal party had to kiss every time a challenger drank a glass of sea prune juice. It seemed easy, but most people could barely get one glass down. Sokka seemed strangely in the zone, however, because he managed to get down five glasses. Suki was pretty quiet the entire party, like she did not want to be there or just did not want Azula to be there.

After the festivities, Gran Gran showed Katara to her room. Azula asked Gran Gran after Katara had gone inside, "Umm… Is there a place I can sleep?"

Before the old woman could answer, Katara came back out and said, "Azula, come on. Gran Gran is tired, so don't ask her questions now. It can wait until morning."

Azula looked at Katara, blinked and then looked at the older woman, as if asking without words if this was okay. Gran Gran chuckled and said, "You actually pretty innocent when it comes to this, aren't you, dear? It's okay. You two are betrothed, so it's okay if you share a room."

Bowing before the old woman, Azula then walked over to the door, took in a deep breath and then walked inside, pushing the cloth aside as she did. Inside, Azula was immediately reminded of Katara's bedroom in the palace. Granted, her bedroom there was not made of ice, but the decorations were very similar.

Azula turned to Katara, who was also looking around the room, and asked, "Do you normally just sleep in these heavy clothes?"

Turning to Azula, Katara answered, "Depends. Back when we lived in tents and igloos, we did. But here we have a bed with nice, warm blankets, so no."

Taking another moment to look around, Azula commented, "It's actually pretty amazing that the ice doesn't melt."

"Oh, Azula," Katara chimed from behind her. Azula turned and saw Katara on the bed wearing nothing but her undergarments. Smoothly, Katara slid under the covers and beckoned the princess over seductively. Azula obeyed. "You know, they say the best way to stay warm is to cuddle."

Azula's heart began beating so fast that she was afraid it was going to burst. A feeling of joy rose up for her chest and then up her body and ended up turning her face a dark crimson. She also stripped down and entered the bed with Katara. It was surprisingly warm under the covers. Katara leaned over and kissed the princess and then pulled the animal skin comforter over them.

"Hey, Katara! Breakfast!" Sokka's shriek jolted both Katara and Azula awake. Azula looked down at Katara and smiled. Katara was snuggled up to Azula with her head on Azula's shoulder. It definitely was a warm night. Azula did not have any trouble sleeping. The two of them wanted this moment to last—

"Katara!" Sokka shrieked again.

A vein throbbed on Katara's forehead and she screamed back, "Alright already! We're up!"

She looked back to Azula and her angry expression immediately changed. The two of them looked at each other for a second and then they giggled. The two of them got up and washed their faces in bowls of brisk water and then got dressed. The two of them walked down the stairs with wide smiles on both of their faces.

After laying eyes on them, Sokka's face faulted into dull annoyance. He pointed a spoon at Azula, letting purple goop fly across the table, and exclaimed, "You! I don't like that face you're making."

The princess blinked and asked, "What? I'm not allowed to be happy?"

"Sure you are," Sokka began, a fake grin on his face, "You and Katara can go skipping around and go on your dates—or whatever it is you two do—but I know that look. That implied things."

Sokka's father sent his boy a glare and said, "Whatever Katara does with Azula in her bedroom is their business, Sokka. Stay out of it."

Sitting down, Katara tried and failed to cover her red face as she hissed at her father, "Dad, I really don't want to talk about this with you or in front of Gran Gran."

Azula immediately thought it would be best to keep her mouth shut.

"Oh, come now, Katara. I'm not that naïve. I know what goes on in the bedroom of two young lovers." Katara's grandmother said.

"Oh. My. GOD!" Katara screamed, looking as if she had never been this embarrassed in her life—and maybe she had not. She put head head down on the table and said, "Please. Let's talk about something else."

Sokka grinned and then swung his spoon again. "How about those otter-frogs? I heard they're getting along swimmingly this year!" There was silence at the table, and Azula could of swore she heard a man cough somewhere. "Oh, come on! That was a good one!"

Suki gestured to the man at her side and said, "My husband, folks."

Trying to change the subject as quickly as possible, Azula held up a spoonful of the purple goop and asked Katara, "What… What is this?"

Katara lifted her head and looked at it. Her eyes widened and she smiled at the bowl in front of her. "Oh, wow! Snow artichoke gruel! What's the occasion?"

"Did you forget about yesterday already, dear?" Gran Gran reminded.

"Oh, wow! You made this for us, Gran Gran? Thank you!" Katara said happily and immediately began to eat as if she was in heaven.

Azula blinked unsurely at the goop and said to herself, "Snow…artichoke gruel…" Given how the sea prunes tasted from last night, she was rightfully suspicious. The sea lion meat from the dinner was pretty good, though. She shrugged and put a spoonful into her mouth. It was like…words failed her. She had no idea what this tasted like, but it was like a stink bomb was set off in her mouth.

"Do you like it?" Katara asked excitedly.

Trying her best, Azula gave a smile, her eyes watering. It must have been a pathetic attempt because everyone was staring at her.

Gran Gran chuckled and said, "It's okay, dear. We're told that Water Tribe food requires and acquired taste to enjoy. Suki, do you mind getting the other plate?"

Suki frowned, obviously not too keen on the idea of having to take anything to the princess, but she got up and did what she was told, regardless. Painfully, Azula swallowed what she had put in her mouth and then pushed the bowl away. The former Kiyoshi warrior returned and set a tray with a bowl of rice, miso soup, and a few rolled omelets in front of Azula. It was a traditional Fire Nation breakfast.

Azula looked very thankful and said to Gran Gran, "Thank you, Grandmother."

Katara looked at the bowl of rejected gruel and then looked at her lover. "How can you turn away this? It's a treat!"

Picking up the chop sticks on the tray, Azula said, "You can have it, if you want."

Smiling, Katara looked at the bowl of—gone! She looked around frantically and saw Sokka with it already. Katara stood up and yelled, "She said I could have it, Sokka! Give it back!"

"Finders keepers!" Sokka stated with a nod.

"That doesn't even apply to this situation!" Katara roared.

"I. Don't. Care." Sokka said as he took a spoonful of the gruel and enjoyed it exaggeratedly.

Katara's eyes widened with rage and she yelled, "You jerk!"

The rest of the family attempted to pretend as if nothing was wrong as Katara and Sokka fought over the bowl of gruel. Unfortunately, Sokka held Katara back with one of his long arms as he slurped it all down in one go.

After breakfast, the two betrothed went for a walk. It was a gorgeous day, or as gorgeous as the days get in the South Pole. The sky was clear, there was not much wind, and the sun was shining down. Azula closed her eyes, feeling the heat of the sun, it seemed to rejuvenate her. Katara was still pouting about the stolen gruel.

"I can't believe he just took it!" Katara exclaimed suddenly, causing some people to turn and look their way.

Azula could not help herself, she started laughing.

Katara looked startled by the laughing and then asked, "What's so funny?"

"You," The princess said simply, still giggling, "You're normally so serious, so it was cute to see you get so worked up over that bowl of gruel."

Blushing, Katara smiled a bit and asked, "So you think I'm cute?"

Azula stopped laughing and smiled at the waterbender and said as she drew her in close with an arm. "I think you're beautiful. Gorgeous." Blushing, she pulled the other woman into a deep kiss.

"Ewww!" A group of children jeered at them.

The two lovers broke their kiss and looked at the children. Katara shook her head and said, "That's not what you're supposed to say when you see two people kissing."

"Kissing is gross! My parents do it all the time!" A girl countered.

A boy ran up and pointed at Azula and asked, "Is it true that you're a firebender?"

Turning to the group of kids but keeping an arm around Katara, Azula answered, "Yeah, I am."

"Show us!" Another kid suggested. "Yeah, show us!" They said together.

Azula gave a smirk and then got into her stance. "Okay, I—" She stopped suddenly, remembering what her brother said about not firebending while she was here. She stood up straight and shrugged. "Sorry, I just remembered that I can't firebend while I'm here."

The kids looked disappointed and one asked, "Why not?"

"Well," Azula started, flipping some hair away from her face, "You see, the grown-ups probably wouldn't like it and I would get in trouble."

A little girl stomped her foot and cried, "Grown-ups ruin everything!"

A large boy turned to the group and suggested, "Since Katara is busy with her girlfriend right now, let's go check out that fort that Shinara said she built yesterday." With that, the group excitedly ran off.

Katara looked at her fiancée, not turning, and said, "You're pretty good with kids." She had not expected this.

"Not really," Azula said, waving her hand dismissively. "I just thought about what you would do."

They stood there for a while, not saying anything. For some reason, Azula felt the atmosphere get heavier, like Katara was about to ask something important. Then Katara stood up straight and looked Azula in the eye and asked, "Do you want kids?"

Azula looked taken aback and then thought about it. "Well, maybe someday, but…isn't that impossible? I don't think it's possible."

"Not biologically, no. Two women can't make a baby, but we could always adopt a child." Katara suggested.

"I-Is this something you would want to do soon?" The princess asked, curiously.

Katara shook her hands out in front of her and said, "No, no! Well, maybe after we're married and we've settled down. I was only curious right now."

"In that case," The firebender started and then answered, "Yes, I would love to adopt a child with you. Only after we're married, though."


	12. Chapter 12: Fracture

Azula was standing in a sea of darkness. She looked around and found nothing. There was nothing here at all. Feeling cold, she crossed her arms and tried to create a small puff of fire from her mouth, but nothing happened.

"That's not how you're supposed to firebend," A voice echoed from the darkness.

Immediately, Azula got into a defensive stance and looked around her. She did not like the sound of that voice. Where was it coming from? She squinted her eyes in the darkness and did not find anything for a while, but suddenly she noticed a growing shape out of the darkness. A figure of herself appeared, slowly at first but then quickly took shape in front of her. She was wearing her old royal family armor.

The other Fire Nation Princess put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, a dark smirk on her lips. "Oh… Look at how low I've sunk. Sitting back while Zuzu weakens our great nation, agreeing not to firebend, and not to mention…" Her gesture grew steadily more severe as she went on, but then her expression finally cracked into rage. "I soiled my perfect body by sleeping with that Water Tribe peasant!"

"Leave Katara out of this!" A rage inside of Azula shot out from inside, surprising her.

The other her looked very pleased with this. "You see? While you might want to pretend to be on the good side now, I'm still inside you. Your ambitions, your rage, and all of your hate! I didn't just disappear."

Azula's head throbbed and she winced as she demanded, "What're you doing to me?"

"Let's just take a little trip back down memory lane. I'll remind you who you are." The evil her explained, Azula could feel the hate radiating from her body, it was like poison to her.

Coughing, Azula lost her balance and fell to a knee. Her head throbbed again, but much more painfully now. "No! Stop it! I don't want to remember!"

The Evil Azula scoffed. "I can't believe how weak I've become. Well, this is going to change all of that. You're going to remember who you are! You're going to put a stop to all this love nonsense! When I'm through with you, you'll wake up and strangle your would-be bride to death!"

"No… I won't let this happen!" The princess resisted, but the pain was so severe that she struggled to keep her eyes open. This undiluted evil made it hard to breathe too. She could not believe that this kind of evil was inside of her.

"Remember!" Her evil side commanded, putting her hand over her mouth. She felt almost as if something crawled out of her hand and into her mouth. The pain intensified and then she felt a sudden release of pressure and her eyes shot open.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in her cell. Except it had none of the comforts that she had toward the end of her sentence. No bed, no vanity, the window's shades were drawn, and anything that could burn was out of the room. There were scorch marks everywhere. Once again, she was standing in front of herself. She saw herself in chains, heat-resistant ones made specifically for holding firebenders. Her hair was still cut awkwardly from the haircut she gave herself. She remembered that this was only a few days after her coronation.

Walking up to the other hair, she asked, "What are you gaining from showing me this?"

The Azula in chains did not respond. She gave a roar, azure fire blazing from her mouth as she did. "I'll kill you all! I'm Fire Lord Azula! I'lll kill you, Zuko! I'll kill you, Katara! Just wait until I get out of here! I'll crush the Avatar's skull under my boot!"

There was a slam from the heavy metal door and a guard shouted, "Quiet in there, you crazy bitch!"

She watched herself roar with anger once again. She can't see me, Azula concluded. This is just a memory. Come to think of it, I can't remember much about the six months that occurred after my failed coronation.

There was a flash. Nothing had changed in the room, but Azula noticed that she had become paler, her eyes were blood shot, and her hair had grown a bit longer. Her lips were white with thirst because she kept spitting the water back in the guards' faces when they came in with food and water. She was wasting away, dying even. She could tell that she did not even have the energy to firebend anymore. No longer was she standing, she was hanging from her wrists. If something did not change soon, she would die for sure.

The door opened suddenly and she overheard a conversation outside.

"Don't worry, Doc. She's no trouble anymore. I don't think she'll last another day, then she won't be a problem for anyone anymore. She won't eat or drink anymore, so she's looking about ready to die at any moment." It was one of the guards.

"Hm… I see. Still, I want to go in and have a look." Azula recognized the second voice. A man walked in, it was the therapist. The door closed behind him and he stood before the fallen princess. It happened quickly, so quickly that the Azula watching had barely saw it. The therapist was holding the princess's head up.

"You will listen to me," The therapist commanded a hypnotic ring in his voice, and suddenly life returned to the chained Azula's eyes.

She looked up at him and yelled, "What? Who are you?"

The man pulled back and said, "Looks like you have quite a bit of life still in you, after all. That's good. The Fire Lord doesn't want you to die."

Azula gritted her teeth in anger and then growled, "I'm Fire Lord, not him! Father made me Fire Lord before he left!"

"Because he no longer had any use of you, correct?" The therapist asked quietly.

"What?" The chained Azula cried, some tears forming in her eyes.

He smiled and said, "Oh, so you've already concluded that much yourself. It's true. As the Phoenix King, he had no use of the title Fire Lord anymore. He just distracted you with the chance to fulfill your ambitions so you wouldn't ruin his plans. He was always ashamed of you, wasn't he?"

"No, he loved me!" Azula screamed in reply.

"That's right. He loved me!" A dark voice echoed. The memory was in suspension. Azula looked around, but did not find the source of the voice. "I was his darling prodigy daughter. He loved me. Look at what they did to us, Azula! Remember how you suffered! Are these the people you love?" Katara face appeared in her mind. "She did this to you! Yes, I can feel the hate swelling within you. That's right! You don't love her, you hate her! You've been waiting patiently, gaining everyone's trust. Now, it's time to strike! Kill her!"

The princess sobbed and then shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. "No! I won't! I love her!"

"Oh, really? Well, let's keep watching, then."

The memory played again, and the old man continued, "No, he didn't love you as a daughter. He loved you as a tool. Ever since you were young, he was excited to use your talent to help him destroy the world. You were only a pawn and when you weren't needed anymore, you were sacrificed."

The chained Azula screamed and wailed in agony. If she still had the energy to firebend, flames would have been searing the ceiling again. Finally, she said darkly, "Liar! Father loved me and hated Zuko. Zuzu was a failure! An average firebender, at best. No ambition! No honor! No talent! Worthless! I was the one who had everything that my father wanted in a child! Me!"

"But what you're describing is someone who can be easily used." The therapist reasoned. "Someone with honor has a lot to lose. Someone with ambition can be easily controlled. And those with talent, but not wisdom to use it correctly, become arrogant and eventually fall from power, just as you did."

The only thing the chained Azula did in response was laugh sinisterly.

The therapist's eyes narrowed and then he said, "If you won't listen to reason, then perhaps…you'll listen to yourself." Once again, it happened so fast that Azula barely saw him move. One moment the therapist was standing there calmly and the next he was by her. He held his hand over her mouth and said, "You must face yourself and decide which destiny you want: a dark one or a happy one. It's your decision."

All of a sudden, Azula's head was throbbing in pain. Even the visiting Azula fell to her knees, holding her head and screaming as it felt like her brain was being ripped apart. The pain was so intense that Azula lost herself and when she regained consciousness, her world was dark again.

"Do you see now?" A voiced over her asked. "You are nothing! You are a façade! You're just an idea implanted in my head by that crazy doctor. You have no real power and now it's time I took my body back!" The shadowy figure of herself reappeared and laughed.

Standing back up, Azula glared at the other her and yelled, "That's it? That's all you've got? You show up, show me some memories and I'm just supposed to give up?"

The other her looked surprised. "Aren't you broken? Don't you yet realize that you aren't real?"

Shaking her head, Azula said, "I'm not sure about any of that. Maybe I was always a part of you, but I was always too scared to surface. Now, though, it's different. I'm happy. I'm in love. And I'm sure as hell not going down without a fight!"

She was not sure why, but Azula was compelled to reach out and grab the other princess. As soon as the two touched, a brilliant light shot up between them: a red and blue light. For a time, the two seemed transfixed in place, as if they were equal in power. The red one suddenly gained strength and started overpowering blue.

"This is the difference in our power!" The dark Azula commented. "You are weak just like Zuzu! I'm going to kill them all and force you to watch before I erase you from my mind. Your girlfriend, her brother, her father, the entire South Pole! And I'll kill Zuzu too. The Fire Nation will welcome their true Fire Lord back with open arms! They won't have to put up with Zuzu anymore—"

"Are you done?" Azula asked suddenly. "Nobody is going to hurt my Katara!"

"What?" The dark princess gasped as the blue light suddenly out-shown her own light.

It was so bright that Azula had to close her own eyes. When her eyes opened, she was laying in bed with Katara at her side. Was that really just a dream?


	13. Chapter 13: Fate's Wrath

Without a second thought, Azula slid out of bed carefully, untangling herself from Katara's arms and legs. She got dressed quickly and then walked to the door. Looking back, she took a moment to look at Katara's sleeping form before leaving. When she found herself outside, it was light out, but at this time of the year it was almost always light out.

He's here, Azula thought to herself. He never really left. He was waiting for this to happen. Whatever that dream was, he had been anticipating it. Just who was he? She intended to find out.

As she walked around the abandoned streets, she paid close attention to her environment. She was being watched. No, it was just that she had gotten used to this feeling. Ever since she got here, she had this feeling. Closing her eyes, she said, "So you've finally come out. I need to talk to you."

She opened her eyes and looked to the cloaked man behind her. His hood was up, so his face was shadowed, but she knew it was the therapist. "Oho! So you've finally noticed me? You have questions, that's good. Come."

The man led her to a basement of an inn. It was full of kegs of various drinks, frozen food, and random run-down furniture. The old man sat down at one of the run down tables with mismatched chairs. Azula did not sit down, she was glaring at him. She had forgotten what rage felt like.

"I remember what you did!" She yelled and then thought for a moment. "Or rather, I remember that you did something to me, but I'm not sure what it was."

He held up a finger and said happily, "That was a very good correction. What I did was simple. I gave you the opportunity to experience what your life would be like without being controlled by others and without letting your negative emotions consume you. What I did was temporary, though. These things were meant to return to you and you were supposed to confront them. Indeed, you have gone through your internal confrontation and you've come back from it with mental clarity. You are ready."

Her eyebrows furrowed and asked, "Ready for what?"

"To choose," The man answered. "You've experienced love, happiness, and how it feels to have someone who loves you more than anyone else. By now, you know what it's like to fight for that person and to sacrifice for that person. You have a decision to make." He pointed to the seat across from him and Azula sat down with her hands on the table. "You have two options in front of you right now. In one hand you hold your future with Katara. In the other, you hold your throne. With the mental clarity you've achieved through that confrontation, you could easily take the throne now. Fire Lord Zuko would not stand much of a chance against your power." His face darkened and he said lowly, "Be warned, however, that you cannot have both. If you try, you will lose both.

"Choose Katara and have a happy life full of love, or choose the throne and have the life you've always dreamed of. You must choose quickly because if you don't, fate will intervene and force your hand."

The princess stood up and stormed out. She was angry, sad, and depressed all at once. She hated it! It felt like she was back in that cell, feeling helpless. Looking down at her hands, she looked at one and then the other. The throne! Let's take the throne! One voice in her head said. No, Katara is the obvious choice! I love her! Another voice rebutted. Tightly, as if trying to shut the world out, she closed her eyes. What should she do?

Unfortunately, the world could not be shut out. "There you are!" A female voice called to her and she opened her eyes. Suki was standing there in her full Kyoshi garb, her eyes full of malice. "Everyone is looking for you. Katara woke up and got scared when you weren't there. I just got angry! Everyone is so worried about you! You! You're just a monster. You always have and always will be! I won't—I can't be fooled by the likes of you. You threw me and all of my fellow warriors in jail for helping Appa. How could anyone love you?" Tears ran down the warrior's face and then she screamed, "I hate you!"

She ran at the princess, brandishing her metal fans and swinging them at Azula with the grace and fluidity that only came from years of practice and experience. Azula managed to dodge the attacks. Her brows twitched and then furrowed. She would not allow herself to be a punching bag anymore! Throwing out a fist, a jet of azure flames shot out at Suki. The girl's eyes rang with surprise, but she still managed to deflect it with a fan.

Smirking, Azula said, "Really… You attacked me and didn't think I would defend myself? You're a coward, after all."

The princess's words stung her deeply. She was only surprised because she had heard that the Fire Lord forbad her from using firebending while she was staying here. "I knew it. You haven't changed at all!"

The two girls continued trading blows, azure flames burning out brightly. People were beginning to notice what was happening in the street below and watched. As she fought with the Kyoshi Warrior, her mind went back to what the man said. Azula's rage was building and her firebending began to react, creating fire so intense that it was melting the street.

"In one hand you have Katara."

She blocked a kick from Suki and then tripped her while she was off-balance. Yes, good! A dark voice echoed in her head. Finish her! Do it! Killing her would be like crushing an ant!

"In the other, you have your throne."

The warrior fell to the ground on her back and Azula quickly created a flame dagger and swung down at the girl's neck. Do it! Yes! Do it!

"Choose. You can only have one."

Just before piercing the girl's throat, Azula hesitated and then stopped. She extinguished the flame and then knelt down on the ground. Suki did not waste time, she was back on her feet instantly, back in her stance. This was some kind of trick. Why would it be, though? She had me! She could have killed me, but she didn't. Why?

"Kill me," Azula said, tears dropping from her eyes to the ice below.

Suki blinked. No, this was not how it was supposed to be. She was a villain, she had me. Why didn't she kill me? Now she wants me to kill her?

Azula shook her head a bit and explained, "I realize now that apologizing isn't enough. You won't have your honor back until I'm dead. I'm allowing it to happen. Kill me and restore your honor."

The warrior hesitated, but walked over and held her fan above the princess's neck. Azuka pulled her hair away so she could aim properly. Just as she was going to bring the fan down, a hand reached out and stopped her. She turned to see who dared to stop her, but then her eyes widened. "Sokka…"

Sokka pulled Suki's arm back and knocked her fan out of her hand. "You can't restore your honor this way, Suki."

"I know," Suki admitted. "But I still hate her! I'm sorry, but I can't forgive her."

"I wasn't expecting you to," Sokka said, "but Katara loves her. How would she feel when she found out that you killed her?"

Standing up, Azula looked at Sokka, determination in her eyes. "Let her finish it, Sokka. I'm willing to give my life so all of you can live happily."

He shook his head and said, "Not if it's at the expense of my sister's happiness. Come on. Let's go home."

As they walked back to the house, Azula could feel it. Any chance of her ever sitting on the throne as Fire Lord was gone. She was not sure how, but she knew that fate had intervened. When she was just a few millimeters away from taking Suki's life, she saw her future. She saw where it led: to power, to glory, but also to war. Katara would never forgive her; she would fight against the new Fire Lord until her dying breath. When it came down to it, Azula simply realized it was too crushing to imagine a life with that sweet Water Tribe girl. She had chosen Katara. She smirked to herself. Oh, how far I've fallen and I wouldn't want it any other way.

When they got back, as soon as Azula walked through the door way, a fist connected with her face. She stumbled back and looked around in alarm and saw Katara glaring at her. "Where the hell have you been? Don't ever do that again, you hear me? I was worried sick!"

Azula smiled and then drew Katara into a hug and said, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I'll never leave your side again."

Katara blushed and then said, "You bet you won't. I'll kill you next time." She glared again and yelled, "I also heard you were firebending! Zuko is going to be really angry at you, you know!"

Stepping forward, Suki said, "Sorry, that's my fault. I…wanted to spar with her and I wanted her to use firebending. I didn't think it through and we got a little carried away." Everyone looked at her in surprise, especially Azula. "I didn't know that Zuko told her that she couldn't firebend."

It was not like she had much choice. Suki was doing more than just covering for the princess, she was covering for herself as well. She knew that Katara would not be happy if she knew that she had attacked Azula and, worse, had every intention to end her life. The thought of alienating her sister-in-law was not pleasant. Plus, she already knew that Sokka and her would be having a rather lengthy discussion about this later already.

Even so, Katara was still upset with both of them. She was not completely sold on the lie, but she figured that she probably did not really want to know what had happened anyway. It was still too early to be thinking about these things. When Azula was ready, she would tell her the truth. Rounding on both of them, Katara yelled, "There are designated areas for dueling! Places where Azula could even firebend without creating such a scene! I'm so angry at both of you right now!"

"Katara, I'm—" The princess reached out for the waterbender, but Katara swatted her hand away.

"Not now. I woke up and you weren't here. You scared me and now I'm cranky. Just…leave me alone for a while." Katara said and then walked upstairs. If the house had doors, Azula was certain she would have heard a very loud slam.

Sulking, Azula collapsed in front of the fire and hugged her legs. She had chosen Katara, but it seemed like fate was punishing her for not having chosen her right away. A tear slid down her cheek and she closed her eyes. She messed up badly. She should not have gave into her rage and fought Suki. She was a fool.

I don't deserve Katara. I never did.


	14. Chapter 14: The Fire Lord's Order

A few days passed, and Azula had spent the nights sleeping in the den because Katara was not talking to her yet. She had to sleep in a corner because otherwise the draft from the door would make her freeze to death. Azula sat up from her blanket and puffed some fire at her hands. She was dressed in her winter gear, but tonight was exceptionally cold.

She was so wrapped up in staying warm that she did not notice anything else around her, so she jumped in surprise when a gentle voice asked, "You're that cold?"

Looking up, she saw Katara and her eyes lit up. It was like meeting an angel after spending your life in a dark basement. Katara had draped the thick fur comforter around her and she did not look cold in the slightest. Shivering violently, Azula lied, "N-N-No, o-of course n-not. I-I'm f-f-fine."

"Stop trying to act tough," Katara ordered and then opened the comforter. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

"R-R-Really?" Azula asked, shocked.

Nodding her head, Katara said, "Yes, it looks like you've learned your lesson.

After saying that, she surrounded Azula in the blanket. Smiling, Azula felt intoxicated after Katara's scent filled her nostrils. Azula stood up and cuddled up to the other girl and the two walked upstairs together.

"Zuko wants you to come back home immediately, Azula," Sokka announced suddenly, holding up a letter from across the table. Azula spit out some of the rice she was eating in surprise. She snatched the letter and began to read it. Sokka sat there, his face covered in rice. "Nice," he muttered to himself.

_Dear Loving Sister,_

_Tell me, what was the one thing I asked you to do? Do you remember? Let me remind you: to keep a LOW PROFILE! Dueling people in the street and causing property damage is NOT keeping a low profile. I have diplomats over here from the Water Tribe demanding an explanation. Right now, consider yourself lucky that you're not in prison. If it hadn't been for me, you would be._

_I'm going to ask nicely once: will you please come now before you cause me more trouble?_

_Sincerely,_

_YOUR Fire Lord, Zuko_

Holding at an arm's length with one hand, her eyes half-lidded, she threw the letter over her shoulder and said, "Well, isn't that cute."

Katara shot her a glare and then picked up the letter and pointed at it. "I told you he would be angry, didn't I?" She turned the letter around and read it over again and sighed.

Azula touched the waterbender's arm gingerly and said, "But I don't want to go back home by myself. I'll be lonely without you."

Looking at the princess, Katara smiled and replied, "Yeah, I know you will be." She looked over at the rest of her family and began, "I think I should—"

"Yes, you should go back with your fiancée, dear," Gran Gran said with a smile.

Sokka smiled at her and nodded. "We understand."

"Good ridd—ack!" Suki exclaimed as Sokka jabbed her in the ribs. "I mean, it was nice having you both here," She corrected herself.

"That letter did not come by hawk, it came by ship. There's a Fire Nation ship waiting for you in the harbor." Sokka informed. "He must want you back as soon as possible."

The princess stared at him in disbelief and stood up, yelling, "Are you telling me he sent a Fire Nation Navy ship here?"

"Yep," Sokka answered simply.

Katara also looked confused as she asked, "Why would he do that? The whole reason we came on a charter was to avoid making a huge scene like that."

"He probably feels like you've done far worse damage already and just wants you out of here that much faster." Sokka theorized.

"Do you really think that's the case?" Azula asked Katara, who shrugged. Looking back at Sokka, she said, "At any rate, he's angry at me. That much is for sure."

It only took them a few minutes to pack their things, but Katara took a few minutes looking around. She was not sure when she would be back, so she wanted to solidify the events in this room in her memory. The laughter, the tears, the fear, the love, the passion… It seemed funny to her that they had only been there two weeks. It felt like they had been here much longer. Taking one last look back, she walked over to Azula, who was waiting for her by the doorway and they walked out together.

Azula, Katara, Gran Gran, Sokka, and Suki made their way down the streets to find the harbor. Master Pakku had gone to give a waterbending lesson, so no one was surprised not to see him there. He took his job too seriously to skip out on a class. Chief Hakoda was there, though. He was chatting with the Fire Nation soldiers from the ship.

Noticing them approaching, Hakoda looked at them, a smile on his face. He pointed at the soldier and said, "Azula, you're not going to believe what this guy was telling me!"

Katara looked at her father dully. She swore that he could get along with anyone.

Curiously, Azula walked over and asked, "What is it?" She looked at the soldier, who suddenly snapped into attention. His mask plate on, but Azula could smell his fear.

"This guy," Hakoda started, pointing at the soldier once again, "said that Fire Lord Zuko was so angry that he burned five of the letters before he could finally manage to send one to them to deliver. Isn't that hilarious?"

Katara laughed awkwardly. Crap, he was a lot angrier than even she thought.

"Oh, man!" Hakoda wiped some tears from his eyes. "I wish I could have seen his face."

Sokka could not help himself, he joined in. He made a motion of a paper bursting in flames in his hands. Throwing his fists to his sides, he made an impression of Zuko, "Argh! Why does this keep happening?" He zips over farther to his left and put on an emotionless voice as he did Mai, "Don't worry about it, Zuko. It happens to every firebender now and then."

Sokka and his father made eye contact and then started laughing together.

Putting her arms behind her back, trying to appear as dignified as possible, she asked the soldier, "Are we ready to cast off already?"

The soldier snapped back into attention. Obviously he had been distracted by the odd behavior of the two Water Tribe men. He called out his reply, "Ah, yes, ma'am! The Fire Lord's orders were clear: come here, pick you up, and leave as soon as possible. We came with enough supplies for a round trip."

"Good," The princess said, pleased, and then waved her hand. "You're dismissed. I'll be on board shortly."

The two guards clapped their ankles together and bowed before leaving. Azula caught a bit of a candid conversation as they walked away.

"I thought we weren't supposed to leave her alone."

"Hey, if you want to piss her off by not following her orders, you go ahead."

She smirked at their backs and then walked back to the others. Katara was giving her farewells to her family. Azula frowned. She wanted Katara to have the ability to see her family whenever she wanted, but due to the trouble she caused her, it would be quite a long time before the Fire Lord would allow her to return. Sighing, she realized that the next time Katara came home, it would be without her. She would just have to deal with that.

After Katara moved on to her grandmother, Hakoda and Sokka walked over to Azula. Hakoda looked down at her seriously. Pointing down at her, the chief said, "Now, you take care of my little girl. I'm watching you!"

As he said the last sentence, he took to fingers and moved them between his eyes and down at her. Azula gave him a weird look and then looked at Sokka, but he was mimicking his father. She sighed. What was up with these two? Despite that, she bowed before Hakoda and said, "Of course, Chief, sir."

As she was standing up straight again, she found herself being pulled into the man's arms. "None of that 'chief' stuff. You can call me Dad!"

Looking up at him, she was blushing with embarrassment. The soldiers and sailors on the ship must have thought this man had a death wish. "Yes, D-D… Father." She was not quite comfortable calling the man "Dad" just yet.

"Close enough," Hakoda said, shrugging.

Just as that awkward moment was wrapping up, Katara was saying her final tearful farewell to her grandmother. She ran to Azula's side and they walked down the dock, Katara waving behind her.

"I'm not good with the whole…emotional thing," Azula said, once again.

Katara giggled at her in response.

"The chief wants me to think of him as my father from now on," The princess explained, blushing again.

Nodding, Katara replied, "Well, isn't that natural? You're becoming part of my family just as much as I'm becoming part of yours."

Azula frowned at that last thought and quickly said, "Sorry about that."

The two boarded the ship. As soon as the plank had been raised, the ship began to back out of the harbor. The waterbenders got to work opening the large gate and they passed through. When they got out on the ocean, the door that led inside slammed open. A grumpy-looking man with thinning grey hair and a top knot marched out. Judging from the style of his armor, Azula guessed that he was an admiral.

He glared down at her and barked, "This is my ship, not yours. I don't care if you're the princess. As of right now, you're my prisoner! You eat when I say, sleep when I say, and work when I say! No questions, no complaining! You got that?"

Katara, looking quite surprised, asked, "Prisoner? What do you mean?"

"She's a dishonored princess, she deserves to be treated as one," The admiral explained.

"Alright! I'll do everything you say," Azula announced cheerfully. She turned and took a few paces away from him, her arms confidently behind her back. The admiral gave a dark smirk. "If you can beat me at Agni Kai!"

Immediately, the officer became visibly pale. He furrowed his brows and demanded, "Why should I give you the honor of such a thing? You're on my ship! You do as I say!"

Without warning, she rounded on her heal and pointed at the admiral and exclaimed, "Zap!"

The admiral closed his eyes, looking like fear had overcome him. the various soldiers standing around the area immediately dived to the ground, covering their heads. Azula gave a giggle and gave a little shrug.

"My, my… Sorry, but it looks like I'm the biggest fish in this pond," Azula said, walking back to the admiral, who was still frozen with fear. "Here's the deal: you leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. Got it?"

Hesitantly, he gave a nod, and then carefully watched as the princess and the waterbender entered the ship. They found their way to appropriate chambers and walked inside. Azula collapsed on the bed and said, "Sorry you had to see that, but I had to establish a pecking order or he would have made our lives hell."

Katara shook her head and said, "No, I understand. I was actually proud of you."

Looking up at her in surprise, she asked, "Proud? Why?"

"Well," Katara began as she walked over and sat next to the princess, "if it had been the old you, you would have hit him with lightning for sure. I know you would have, but you didn't."

"Yeah," Azula agreed, "in the old days, I would have shot him without a second thought. I would have thought he deserved to die for trying to rule over his princess. Now, I just wanted him to leave me alone."

Smiling, Katara gave the princess and kiss. The two laid on the bed and cuddled.


	15. Chapter 15: Redemption

Spending days on a Fire Nation ship were not as enjoyable as she remembered during the war. Walking around the deck, she found the sailors and soldiers terror, which she used to enjoy with relish, now felt like a stigma. At first, it was amusing, but it has long since lost its flavor. At one point, she did not need friends. As long as she had power, she was happy, but that was all she ever knew. Katara had changed her, taught her how to love and as a consequence she wanted to have more. She has never had a friend in her entire life and she had no idea how to approach someone.

Walking over to a soldier, Azula cleared her throat to get his attention. He turned to her, looking terrified and exclaimed, "I didn't do anything!"

She waved her hands in front of her and said, "No, no! I just wanted to talk."

Taking a step back, the soldier asked, "Talk? Is this one of those psychological things?"

"It's nothing like that at all. I just want to talk to someone, that's it." Azula explained, anger beginning to swell inside of her.

The soldier dropped down on his knees and bowed as low as he could in front of her. "Princess, please, I beg of you, don't kill me! I have a wife back home, we just got married."

"I'm not going to kill you!" Azula roared, only making the poor guy even more afraid. Turning away from him, she blew some small flames from her nostrils and said, "Fine, I'll leave you alone. You're too pathetic to be my friend, anyway."

Azula spent most of the rest of the day approaching others, but unfortunately met with similar results. Maybe she wasn't a people person? Wait, she already knew she wasn't. She got unbelievably lucky with Katara. Maybe Katara would always be her only friend? Not that she was complaining about Katara, she was lucky to have her in her life.

Storming into their chamber, Azula exclaimed at Katara, "Everyone on this ship is a spineless wimp!"

Katara put her sewing needles down and asked, "What happened?" She was sitting on the bed with her back against the headboard.

"I just wanted to see if I…" She trailed off, looking away. "Forget it, it's stupid."

Katara slid over to the side of the bed and looked up at her. "You can tell me, what's up?"

Pulling out a chair, Azula sat on it across from Katara and blushed. "I…wanted to try…to make a friend."

The other girl sat there for a minute with an incredulous look on her face and then giggled. "That's…so cute. I can't help it!"

Standing up, the princess threw her fists down at her sides and yelled, "This is why I didn't want to say anything!"

Katara put her arms out and gestured with them for Azula to sit back down, which she did. Azula reached out and held the princess's hand as she said, "I'm sorry, this is a big thing for you. Unfortunately, flare bear, you just intimidated these guys beyond belief. None of them are going to want to be your friend."

Cocking an eyebrow, Azula asked, "Flare bear?"

Blushing, Katara replied, "It's a pet name. I wanted to try it out."

Azula also blushed and commented, "It seems too cute for me."

The waterbender stood up and then kissed the other girl before saying, "You are very cute, flare bear."

The next few days were uneventful. Azula stopped her campaign to make friends because the admiral said that none of his crew could work if they were too busy peeing their pants. Apparently, a few actually had. Katara and Azula spent most of their time in their chamber, not that they minded. They spent the time talking, a little time arguing, too. Apparently the princess had a nasty habit of leaving her underwear lying around and Katara finally could not stand it anymore. Still, when the Fire Nation was in sight, Azula breathed a sigh of relief. She had enough of traveling to last a lifetime.

Upon docking, the princess was not surprised to find the Fire Lord waiting. It was not their custom to greet people at arrival, but to wait until they appeared at the palace. The royal family had always been secretive and some habits are really hard to break. Azula did take time to notice the difference between her arrival at the Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe. The only people waiting there were the guards to escort her; she noticed there were a bit more than last time, which annoyed her.

Despite knowing that her brother would be there to confront her future wife, Katara was cheerful. She was mainly for Azula's sake. It seemed to work because the frustrated look seemed to disappear when the princess looked at her smile. Holding hands, the two women walked down to the dock and allowed themselves to be escorted to the palace.

Expectedly, the Fire Lord was there waiting. As soon as the gates closed, he put his arm around her neck and pulled her close. "Alright, you brat, you told me that you wouldn't lie anymore, so I want to know what really happened. Got it?"

"First of all," Azula said, pulling herself free from his grasp, "Don't do that again, unless you want to get burned badly. Second, I am going to tell you. You and Katara."

"Katara?" He asked, looking at the girl in question.

Nodding, Azula explained, "Yes, this involves her too. Complicated things arose that kept me from telling her. I figured that I might as well tell you both at the same time after I got your letter."

Turning to Katara, Zuko asked, "That means you kicked her out of the bedroom, right?"

"Yep," Katara answered bluntly.

Blushing, the princess continued, "I won't discuss this until we go somewhere private."

The three retreated into the palace and found a den, wherein they closed any doors and windows and sat formally on floor cushions before Azula began telling everything. She told them about the dream, about the therapist and what he had done to her, about her confrontation with therapist, and about fight with Suki. Both Katara and the Fire Lord remained silent until she was finished.

"You see, I was still struggling with the return of my previous rage and goals. I, unfortunately, hesitated at first and fate forced me to decide with Suki. It was not her fault, it was mine for being indecisive and weak." Azula finished, her throat feeling hoarse from talking.

"That explains a few things," Katara said, "You have seemed to be a bit more like your old self lately. Obviously not as dark, though."

Zuko narrowed his eyes at his sister and asked, "So you're old drive to become Fire Lord is back, then?"

Shrugging, Azula answered, "It was, but I decided that Katara was more important. If it meant losing her, there's no way I would do it. No matter how I look at it, Katara and I would end up enemies if I tried. Also, I'm not a leader; I already knew that. I see all this stuff you have to put up with and I don't want any of it." Smirking, she added, "Picking between a quiet life with Katara and a violent one as Fire Lord. Looking back, I don't even understand why I hesitated."

Katara put her arms around Azula's arm and smiled up at her. Azula blushed, but kept looking at her brother.

Clearing his throat, Zuko said, "That's good. I'm glad that things turned out better than what I was expecting. I just hope that your outbursts are in the past."

The princess smiled and said, "I wouldn't say that. I'll still get angry, after all. I just won't try to start wars or take over any countries. That part of me is in the past. Right now, the only thing I want to do is plan my wedding."

"Still," Katara began, "I can't believe Suki attacked you." Azula was about to respond, but Katara grabbed her by the jaw and turned her head. She pulled Azula's hair away and saw a little scratch that was mostly healed. "It's true, if Sokka hadn't stopped her, she would have seriously killed you."

Pulling herself away from Katara, she defended, "She had every right to be angry."

Katara's eyebrows furrowed with anger and she said, "Angry, yes, but her anger does not justify murder." Crossing her arms, she thought out loud, "Does she even regret nearly taking your life?" Rounding back on her, her eyes flaring with anger, she yelled, "You should have told me before we left!"

Pointing up at Katara, she said, "You see how angry you are? That's why I didn't want to tell you before we left. Sokka had already talked to Suki about it. I didn't want her to have to sit through the same awkward discussion with you."

"To answer your question," The princess said, "She does regret trying to kill me. Not for my sake, though, but for yours. She realized that killing me would create a rift in the family."

Looking away, Katara said, "Okay, so long as she understands my feelings about it, then it doesn't matter. She probably won't ever do it again."

The Fire Lord looked pleased and thought, She really has changed and come a long way. I don't think I ever saw her smile like this before, or be so unselfish. Someone tried to kill her, and not only did she not kill Suki, but she just defended her. But…just to be safe. He looked behind him while his sister and Katara were distracted by each other. The curtains disturbed a bit and then Aang peeked out from behind them. He smiled goofily and gave Zuko a thumbs up, signaling that Azula had been telling the truth. Better safe than sorry.

Zuko dismissed her sister and the two lovers left the room. After the Avatar felt them walk down the hall, he emerged from his hiding place. Looking back at him, the Fire Lord asked, "How are you taking this? My sister is serious and Katara looks completely in love with her. Azula even gave up a chance to be Fire Lord to be with her."

Frowning, Aang looked down at the floor for a moment and then looked back at the man. "I want to say I'm jealous, but honestly… For the first time, I'm not. When I saw how happy Katara was I just knew it was time to let her go. Azula has changed. I was shocked. She has those dark urges back, but she chose to turn her back on them, despite them being so seductive and easy to bend to. The old her wouldn't have stood a chance. I also don't like what Suki did, but I guess everyone's judgment gets clouded by dark emotions at least once in their life. I've been there."

"Myself," Zuko began and said, with a grin, "I learned as a kid to never assume anything about my sister. She will always find a way to surprise you."

"So, a wedding, huh?" The Avatar mused, looking at the ceiling.

Nodding, Zuko asked, "Yeah, are you going to come?"

The Avatar was silent for a bit, but then looked at him with a smile and said, "Yep! Wouldn't miss it for the world. Unless the world really was in trouble then that would be a different."

The Fire Lord walked over and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder and commented, "You were always strong, Aang. I wish I could half of your strength."

"The Avatar has to be strong: physically, mentally, and emotionally." He gave a sincere response and then added, "I can see now that I'm probably still too immature to deal with this kind of stuff. There will be others, I'll just have to be patient."

"You're really not upset with this?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Aang clarified, "Well, I was when I first found out a few months ago. But after seeing Katara now, I can see that she's happy and her heart fully belongs to Azula. It was her decision and I have to respect it." He turned away and slid open the door that led outside and walked through it. Once outside, he twirled his staff and it snapped into a glider. Looking back, he called, "Just let me know when the wedding is and I'll be there!" Before Zuko could respond, he jumped up to the railing and leapt down, taking off on his glider.


	16. Chapter 16: Reunion

Although Azula had explained things to Zuko, he was not willing to let her think she could do whatever she wanted without consequences. Even six months after her return, the princess was still confined to the palace. She could not go with Katara when she went down to the market to pick out fabrics and patterns for dresses, flowers, or even rings; however, that soon changed when the merchants caught the rumors of Azula getting married. They were lining up at the palace's gates to show the princess their wares.

Politically, the Fire Lord began to grow more stern in negotiations. The Water Tribe committee began to realize that their days of preying on Zuko's guilt were over. With a little passion and maybe some slight intimidation, he was able to convince them that it was time to start focusing on rebuilding the Earth Kingdom. The Water Tribe had more than rebuilt their cities, so now it was their turn to help out a country in need.

As for the young soon-to-be married couple, Azula had the thick metal door on her bedroom removed. Since the Fire Lord did not stop the order, the guards did not interfere. The large chamber was now full of various Water Tribe and Fire Nation decorations and trinkets. Unfortunately, Katara began to realize soon after their return that the chances of them living at the South Pole were next to impossible; Zuko would never allow it. Part of her was excited about starting her new life as Azula's wife, while another was sad that she might not see her home for a long time. Plus, will Azula ever be allowed outside the Fire Nation? She knew that Zuko would not keep her locked in the palace forever, but going beyond the borders might be another issue entirely.

Katara hated going anywhere without Azula; it felt like she was removing half of herself every time. Now that their wedding date had been set, there were certain people that she wanted to invite personally. She tried to convince Zuko to allow Azula to come with her, but he would not allow it. She only needed to go to one place: Ba Sing Se. The Fire Lord did let her use a small Fire Nation ship, though. It was not nearly as fast as Appa, but Aang had not been around as much lately. When he was, things were really awkward between them. She wanted to be friends again, but he still needed time. During the trip to Ba Sing Se, she would turn her head, expecting Azula to be there, smiling at her, but she was not. Her heart sank every time. She was used to the princess always being there. Her brow furrowed and she decided to be stronger. Getting depressed now would not do anyone any good.

After docking on the Earth Kingdom's eastern coast, they traveled a little ways inland to Ba Sing Se. The city still had its towering walls, but it was no longer a place of isolation and fear; however, it was also one of the only places where the Earth Kingdom was still stable. Upon entering the city, Katara used the monorail to the noble district. While arriving, she looked out the window and saw the _Jasmine Dragon_, Iroh's tea shop, and smiled. From the monorail station, it was not so easy, however. The streets were narrow and misleading in the direction they went.

Katara soon found herself lost at a dead end; she grew frustrated and just when she was going screen there came a voice, "What brings you here, Katara?"

Turning to the source of the voice, she saw a short teenage girl with long black hair, dressed in the usual Earth Kingdom green and yellow, wearing a hair band, a vest with a short sleeve shirt underneath, a bracer on her left wrist and a large gauntlet on her right. A knotted belt held up her loose cloth pants, pared with a short half-skirt. The girl's lower calf, ankle, and heel, were bound with green cloth; otherwise, she was barefoot.

"Toph!" The name escaped from Katara's lips and she asked, "How did you find me?"

Smirking, Toph crossed her arms and answered, "I would recognize those stiff footfalls from anywhere."

A vein throbbed on Katara's forehead and she yelled, "My footfalls are not stiff!" There was silence for a moment and then both girls burst into laughter. Katara walked closer and asked, "Seriously, how did you?"

Toph pointed at the house to her right and explained, "My house is right there! I noticed someone walking in the alley behind it and then realized it was you."

"Well, thank you for finding me. This works out because I wanted to see you, anyway." Katara said, relieved.

Pointing behind her with her thumb, Toph said, "That's great, but where were you going? Just tell me and I'll lead you there. I know this city pretty well now."

"I'm trying to get to Iroh's tea shop," Katara explained.

Toph's eyes widened and she yelled, "But that's right by the station! You can't miss it!" Then she pointed at the other girl and announced, "You have a really bad sense of direction, don't you, Katara? Oh, man! You're lucky I found you. You've wandered really far away from where you need to be."

Blushing with embarrassment, Katara explained, "Well, the streets here are like a maze."

The two of them started walking together. Toph really did seem to know where she was going. Unlike Katara, Toph could read her environment with her seismic sense. Katara was certain that she would never get lost in an actual maze, so long as it was made out of some kind of earth.

"I'm guessing what you wanted to talk to me about had something to do with Azula's scent on you." Toph said suddenly.

Katara blushed yet again and admitted, "Well, yeah. Unlike everyone else, I can't just send you a letter, and I wanted to tell you in person." She took a second to sniff herself, wondering if she really smelled a bit like Azula before continuing, "Look, a lot happened in the last year. I went to the palace in the Fire Nation, doing a routine check for Aang. Next thing I know, I'm visiting Azula."

Frowing, Toph asked, "Why did you want to do that?"

Taken by surprise, Katara looked away for a moment and said, "I'm not sure. I just thought that I hadn't saw her once since the end of the war. I had no idea what condition she was in. I never thought about it until she came up in my conversation with Zuko." She paused briefly, and then said, "Anyway, I went to see her and was surprised when I found her in what seemed like her old self. She seemed confident and brazen, but the look behind her eyes was desperate, lonely."

"Maybe after everything she did during the war, she deserved a little loneliness," Toph judged.

"That's just it," Katara began, "The Azula that I knew would not feel lonely at all. She was alone for most of her life, so why would she start feeling that way now?" Shaking her head, Katara said, "No, I knew she had changed right then, but I was still cautious. She might have been acting or something. Something unexpected happened, though."

Toph's head perked up and asked, "What was it?"

"She cried," Katara answered, rubbing her arm. "When I saw her cry, I knew that she wasn't acting. Azula had changed and she was reaching out for help."

Shrugging, Toph commented, "I guess miracles can happen."

Taking a deep breath, Katara continued, "I stayed there for a while and realized…that my feelings for Azula had changed from pity to caring. From caring, it was infatuation. From infatuation, I fell in love with her."

Toph stopped and grabbed Katara's arm suddenly and asked, "Katara, you're being serious right now. I can feel your heart beating really fast just talking about her. You really have it bad for her, don't you?" Narrowing her eyes a bit, she asked, "Could you just tell me what this is all about?"

Katara looked down at the other girl for a moment and then said, "It's more than just that, Toph. Even right now, the fact that she isn't with me is killing me. For nearly ten months, we have spent nearly every waking moment together. I never felt this way with Aang or anyone else. I can't imagine my life without her. We're…getting married, Toph."

Taking a moment, Toph looked she her mind was racing. Finally, she regained herself and said, "I would ask if you were being serious, but you're always serious. All I know is that I can tell you mean every word you just said. if that is the case, then I'm happy for you. Some of us can only dream about finding someone who can make us feel that way." Heaving a sigh, Toph continued, "Even so, nothing is ever perfect. You found love, but being with that girl can't be easy. Zuko must have her on a leash constantly."

"Yeah," Katara admitted gravely, "She made a mistake back in my hometown. Ever since then Zuko hasn't allowed her out of his sight. I really wanted her to come here with me."

Frowning, Toph reached over and pulled Katara into a hug, comforting her. after a moment, the two broke the hug and continued to the tea shop. They found the place packed with people. The outside and the inside were full, along with a line stretching down the street.

"How are we going to get in? I need to talk to Iroh." Katara said hopelessly.

Shaking her head, Toph smirked and said, "Watch."

The younger girl walked over to the gated entrance to a large man, who towered over the two of them. He glared down at them and yelled, "The Boulder does not allow any cuts!"

Toph immediately punched him in the gut. The people around gasped in horror. The Boulder gripped his stomach and said, "T-Toph…" He stood back up and continued, "The Boulder didn't recognize you, you've grown a bit. Become quite pretty." She took a step forward and he winced. "The Boulder means that with great respect, of course."

She gave a smile and said, "Of course."

It must have been a surreal experience to the people who did not recognize her. A small girl just walked up to a man more than three times her size, punched him, and then gained entrance. The two girls walked into the establishment.

Katara squinted through the crowd and said, "He could be anywhere."

Toph shook her head and then pointed to her side. Katara followed her finger and found the old man seated at a table with some women, laughing loudly as he drank tea. She knew that ordinarily, she would have said a comment about him being around so many women, but right now all she felt was fear. Iroh was the man who had practically raised Zuko, he was more of a father to him than an uncle. Likewise, it was like she was asking Azula's father for her hand in marriage. She had come this far, but her legs felt as heavy as stone.


End file.
